Street Rat
by iShouldBeaDisneyPrincess
Summary: Annabeth hates palace life, even more so when she's forced into an arranged marriage. Then she meets Percy, the infamous gang leader. When his life is in danger, will she turn her back on him? Or will she risk everything to save him? FULL SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. Annabeth

**Hey guys! So, as promised, the full summary is just below this little intro thingy right here. I just want to clear one thing up before I begin so that there is no confusion and/or false accusations. In all of my time reading PJO fan fics, I have never seen a story with the same plot as the one that is currently filling up my noggin. If you have written a similar story to this one and feel that I have copied you, I swear to Jesus that I had no intention of doing such a thing (if you are a non-Christian religion or are an atheist, I pinky promise :D ). Anywhoo, I hope you guys will like my story. Here is the summary:**

Lady Annabeth has never acted like a proper Lady should. She doesn't like to follow rules, and she certainly doesn't enjoy being forced to play dress-up every day. Annabeth dreams of escaping from the palace life that confines her. She wants to be more like her late mother, who traveled across the realm without anything holding her back. Annabeth hopes to become like the famous architects that designed the palaces and temples in Olympus, the capital of the realm. However, her dreams are shattered when her parents try to set her up in an arranged marriage. Sure, he's handsome enough and certainly very strong. But there's more to Luke Castellan than meets the eye.

Percy Jackson is the notorious leader of the largest gang in Hades, the Demigods. He has a reputation for being a charming yet deadly criminal, but this is only what he appears to be. On the inside, Percy only wants to keep his mother and brother from starving. But when you have nothing, it's hard to keep your family alive without taking to the streets.

When Annabeth and Percy are forced together through an unlikely set of events, they become enemies immediately. As time goes on, they begin to develop an uneasy friendship. Somewhere along the way, they might even fall in love. But when Percy gets into some serious trouble, will Annabeth be willing to sacrifice everything and everyone for the boy she loves?

**That is the summary! Now, without further ado, I present to you Chapter 1 of Street Rat!**

Chapter 1- Annabeth

I was arguing with my stepmother. Again. This time, it was about makeup.

"Oh, Annabeth, put on a little more blush. It will make everything look so much better."

"My face is already covered in makeup. I don't need anymore."

"Why do you have to be so resistant all the time? Must you always prove yourself right? You know, I don't think that there are many lords and dukes out there who want an argumentative wife."

Of course, she had brought it back to the subject of marriage. "You mean they don't want a wife who has a backbone?" I spat at her. A small frown crossed her face. I rolled my eyes before turning towards the door of my powder room.

"Where are you going, young lady?"

"I'm going to see Rachel. I haven't heard from her in a few days."

Heidi gasped. "You can't just _see_ the Princess of Olympus whenever you please! You have to make an appointment or send a messenger ahead at the very least."

"Maybe _you_ do, but I don't have to. Rachel isn't going to turn away her best friend." I tried to leave before Heidi could say anything else, and, thankfully, I was successful. I walked down a small corridor connecting my powder room to the rest of my rooms and turned into the sitting room. From there, I opened the door connecting my rooms to the rest of my father's estate and began walking down to the main floor.

It wasn't that I didn't like Heidi. We just didn't have a lot in common. She was very into makeup, and balls, and dresses, and gossip. I was into traveling, and architecture, and learning, none of which were suitable for a Lady in my position.

I got down to the entrance hall. A butler whose name I couldn't remember bowed his head and said, "Good morning, Lady Annabeth."

"Good morning," I replied politely as he opened the door. The sunlight hit me immediately, and I squinted against the glare, bringing a hand to my forehead in order to shade my eyes. I walked a short distance before I found some servants playing cards behind the house.

I coughed loudly in order to get their attention, and immediately they all looked up, startled. I asked, "Could one of you please prepare a carriage? I'm going to visit the Princess Rachel." One man stood, bowed and turned towards the stables to go prepare a carriage. The others looked at the ground, embarrassed that I had caught them playing cards when they were supposed to be working.

I moved a little closer to them so that they could all hear me when I whispered, "If you want, my father won't be home for at least another hour. You should have time for a few more rounds." They smiled at me and some of them laughed. They knew that I wouldn't tell my father what they'd been doing.

The carriage was ready, so I got in and made myself comfortable. It wasn't that long of a ride, only about 10 minutes. My father's position in the Court of Olympus got us a house in close proximity to the palace where Rachel lived.

Rachel had been my best friend since we were children. Being the only two girls in the Court who were close to the same age, we spent a lot of time together. It helped that we had so much in common. Neither one of us cared for the restraints and rules that came with being a Lady or a Princess. Other girls we knew, like our friends Lady Silena or the Duchess Katie, were much more into ladylike things, such as makeup or gardens. In fact, Katie's flower garden was envied by everyone across the realm who had laid eyes on it. All sorts of rare flowers bloomed there, and it was one of my favorite places to visit when I spent time with her.

When I arrived at the palace, Rachel was waiting for me. I never had to tell her when I was coming to visit because she always seemed to know. As soon as I had stepped out of the carriage, she rushed forward and hugged me.

"I swear," I said, hugging her back. "It's like you can see the future! How did you know I was coming?"

Rachel shrugged. "I guess you're just really predictable. Come on, let's go up to my rooms." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "I got a new book for you."

I tried to keep the smile off of my face as we rushed passed the guards towards Rachel's end of the palace. We ran through the halls, which was very difficult due to the full-skirted dresses we were both wearing, and received a lot of disapproving looks from certain servants and visiting nobles. Finally, we reached Rachel's rooms and she pulled the door closed behind her.

"Sit," she ordered, pointing towards her bed. I kicked off my shoes and sat down, crossing my legs under my dress. "Close your eyes," Rachel said as she rummaged through her things. I did, and the next moment I could feel the weight of the book in my hands. "Now open them," Rachel ordered.

I opened my eyes and read the front cover. It was a book on famous architects and the buildings they had designed. I jumped up and down excitedly and pulled Rachel into a huge hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I've been trying to find this book for so long!"

"I know. I hope you like it. It sure was a pain to find." She flopped down beside me on the bed in a very un-princesslike way. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find trustworthy servants who won't go blabbing to my mother about what I'm trying to find?" She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at me. "She would be furious if she found out I got you a book."

Olympus had some strange rules. For one, women were expected to be on their best behavior at all times. We were never to be rude, or show any type of extreme emotion. Everything was decided for us. Some girls received an education, but that depended on who your parents were. Rachel and I could have had any kind of education, but for some reason our parents didn't want us to learn anything. Instead, Rachel and I secretly got books from the blackmarket in the slums outside of Olympus, known as Hades.

"I'm sorry, Rach. You didn't have to go through all that trouble. I could have found it another way."

Rachel waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it. Just consider it an early birthday present."

I scowled. I'd almost forgotten that my sixteenth birthday would be coming up in just two weeks. It was the day that I would be officially recognized as a Lady in the Court of Olympus. It was the day that I would finally stop being treated like a child.

It was also the day that my parents could start deciding who they were going to marry me off to.

I fell backwards on the bed, my face towards the ceiling. I groaned. "I don't wanna turn sixteen."

"Sure you do," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "You just don't want to get married."

"Is there a difference?"

Rachel thought for a second. "Nope."

I glared at her. "You are no help."

She smiled jokingly and tossed her mane of red hair over one shoulder. "But you love me anyway."

I picked up a pillow and threw it at her. She ducked, grabbed it off the floor, and threw it back. Soon, we were laughing and throwing pillows back and forth, running around her room and making a huge mess that we or some poor maid would have to clean up later. It was fun, and it felt nice not having Heidi breathing down my neck about the proper ways that a Lady should act. It was moments like these that I would miss when I finally had to get married.

_Stop thinking about it_, I thought to myself. _Don't let it ruin your day_.

I listened to my brain and pushed those thoughts away. They could wait until later.

**I know it's starting off a little slow, but I promise, if you give it a chance I think it will be worth your while. The next chapter introduces Percy and the Demigods. Reviews are always appreciated! Love you guys! ~Belle**


	2. Percy

**Hello everyone! I'm so happy right now because this story already has over 150 hits. And it's only the first chapter! Yay! A quick shout-out to those who reviewed:**

**HerCrimsonTears**

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**Mythomagic-Champion**

**I believe that's everyone! Here is Chapter 2!**

Chapter 2- Percy

I clutched my side as I ran down the winding alleys of Hades. I had the advantage since I knew these streets way better than the King's Guard did. Still, I was running out of breath and I could hear them closing in on me. I had to find somewhere to hide.

I tripped over an abandoned cart lying in the middle of the alley and fell hard on the dirt alley, bruising my elbow in the process. I scrambled up and tried to start running again, but I heard someone whisper, "Percy!" right behind me. Someone grabbed me by my arm (the uninjured one) and forced me into a ditch I hadn't noticed before. It was just big enough to fit the two of us, but it was a tight fit. Overhead, I heard the King's Guard pass by.

"Where did he go?"

"Are you sure he came down this way?"

"I saw him turn here."

"Come on, boys. I'm not letting this street rat get away again." I scowled when I heard Octavian's voice. He was the Captain of the King's Guard in Hades, and my long time enemy. He longed for nothing more than to throw me in jail or have me hanged. I dreamed of meeting him alone in a dark alley where no one could interrupt us. My knife would be the last thing he saw.

After they had passed by, I turned to look at my savior. As soon as I saw who it was, my face turned bright red.

"Hey, Percy," Calypso greeted me. "It's been a while."

"H-hey, Calypso." I was suddenly aware of how close we were. Her chest was pressed up against mine and her lips were only inches from my face. Our legs had somehow gotten intertwined when we jumped into the ditch. "How've you been?"

"Well, it's been pretty boring since you stopped coming by the shop." Calypso worked at a flower shop in one of the nicer parts of Hades. If you can call any part of Hades nice.

"Sorry. I've been pretty busy lately."

"So I've heard. Eight thefts in a month? Even for you, that's a pretty high record."

I shrugged. "It was mainly the Stoll's. They like that kind of work."

"Right." We stood there awkwardly for a few moments before I climbed out of the ditch. I offered my hand and helped Calypso out after me. As she was getting out, she stumbled and fell into my arms.

"Whoa," I said as I steadied her. "You okay?"

She looked up at me, her beautiful brown eyes shining up at me. "I am now." Then she reached up, put a hand on the back of my neck, and pulled me towards her. She kissed me full on the lips, and I was too surprised to do anything. I ripped myself out of her grip and walked away.

"What is wrong with you, Percy? You haven't spoken to me in over a month, and now you won't even kiss me?"

I turned towards her. "I already told you, I can't be with you anymore. It's too dangerous."

"I can protect myself, Perseus Jackson," she said angrily. I made a face when she used my real name. "It's not like you're doing anything more dangerous than you were before. I don't understand what the problem is."

"The problem is that I don't want you to be involved in that stuff. It's better for you and safer if you just forget about me."

Calypso rolled her eyes. "Don't you get it? I can't just _forget_ about you. You're special. There's something about you that just keeps drawing me closer to you." She moved towards me, but I backed away. "When I'm with you I forget about everything else." I was trapped against the wall of the alley, and Calypso just kept coming closer. Soon, her arms were around my neck and she was pulling me closer to her again. "Don't you miss me at all?"

"Of course I miss you, but I can't do this. I have other things to worry about."

"Like what?" she asked as she kissed my neck seductively.

"Like…like…Will you stop that?" I said as I tried to pull away from her again. This time she listened, shocked that I had rejected her. Twice. Then she got angry.

"It's some other girl, isn't it? That's why you don't want me anymore. I mean, the Great Percy Jackson, leader of the Demigods, can get any girl he wants, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have another girl. I just don't need any complications right now."

"So now I'm a _complication_? Wow, you _really_ know how to make a girl feel good." She stormed off angrily, probably going back towards her shop. I thought about going after her, but I decided not to. This would at least get her to leave me alone for a little while.

I made my way back to base. The Guard must have given up there search for me because they were nowhere to be found. It probably helped that I had already paid most of them off. They weren't too hard to bribe if you knew who to offer the money to. Obviously I would never try to buy off Octavian or his cronies, but most of the other men on the Guard were pretty cool. As long as I didn't do anything really bad, like murder or rape, or draw attention to myself, they would leave me and my gang alone.

As I walked down the street, people crossed to the other side of the road. Everyone knew who I was, and they knew to stay out of my way. After all, I was the notorious green-eyed gang leader. I saw a group of tavern girls whispering and stealing glances at me. I flashed them a cocky grin and they all giggled. One of them sauntered up to me, a devilish smirk on her face.

"Hey, Percy. Are you gonna come visit me today?"

"Not today, Drew. I've got other stuff to do."

She put a hand on my chest and stuck out her bottom lip. "You haven't been by the tavern in _so_ long," she pouted. "I'm starting to think you don't like me."

I smirked at her. Drew was very pretty, and she knew it. If she wanted to, she could probably make a decent maid at a palace in Olympus or at least a good shop worker. However, she did make quite a bit of money, and she was _very_ good in her…line of work. "Of course I like you. I just don't have time to come by today."

She removed her hand from my chest and started to walk back to her friends who were all watching our exchange with interest. Drew looked back over her shoulder and blew me a kiss. "I won't wait forever, Percy," she called.

I gave a half wave as she turned away from me. "I sure hope not," I muttered under my breath.

The Demigod base was a rundown warehouse in the worst part of Hades. The people who lived there were the absolute worst kind of people, from thieves, to rapists, from runaway fugitives to murderers. We all pretty much stayed out of each other's way. The few people who were out nodded to me in respect. I nodded back, but other than that we ignored each other.

As soon as I opened the warehouse door, I could hear the arguing voices of the Stoll brothers. Their voices traveled down from the upper floors. I climbed the ladder and immediately saw what the argument was about.

"Where is it, dammit?"

"I didn't take your stupid picture. Why would I want a picture of _her_ ugly face?"

Travis lunged at his brother, holding a knife to his throat. "You take that back," he seethed through clenched teeth.

"Boys!" I shouted. They both looked towards me. "Travis, get off him." I surveyed the damage. The entire room had been torn apart. The ratty cushions from the couches were tossed across the room, drawers were pulled out of the dressers, and the extra clothes we stored here were strewn across the floor. "Connor, what the hell did you steal now?"

"I didn't steal nothin' from him!"

"Liar!" Travis was about to lunge at Connor again, but I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him. He glared at me for a second, then dropped his gaze to the floor. "He took my picture of her. I know he did."

Travis was talking about the picture of his first real love, Katie. They had met by chance one day when he had been working as a part time stable boy in Olympus. His mom worked as a maid over there, and she had gotten him the job. Katie was a Duchess who lived at the mansion where Travis and his mom worked, and when she went to the stable to see the horses, she met Travis. At first, they hated each other, but soon they fell in love. Unfortunately, Katie's strict mother had her suspicions about Travis, and she found out about his relationship with Katie. She fired him, but on his last day Katie gave him a picture of herself so that he could remember her. He hadn't seen her in over a year, and that picture was all he had to remember her by. Other than his lucky knife, it was the thing he valued most.

"Maybe you just dropped it, man. Come on, I'll help you look for it." We searched the entire warehouse, from top to bottom. After Connor got over being mad at Travis for blaming him, he helped us look, too. That was the great thing about the Stoll boys. They could fight everyday about the stupidest things, but when it really mattered, they always had each other's backs.

I heard a door slam below, meaning that someone had just come back to base. "Yo, Travis! I think you dropped something!" Nico's voice carried up to the top floor of the warehouse. "I've got a picture of a very pretty Duchess with me!"

Travis climbed down the ladder as fast as he could and jumped the last ten feet to the ground. He stumbled to Nico, who handed him the picture. "Thanks, man. Where'd you find it?"

"I was cleaning up that alley where you got into it with that Guard officer. You musta dropped it while you were fighting."

Travis clutched the picture to his chest as if someone might try to take it from him. He put it in the tiny pocket hidden inside his jacket. Then he turned to his brother, who had followed him down the ladder. "Sorry, bro. I shoulda known you wouldn't have taken it."

"Don't worry 'bout it, man. We're still brothers."

"Well, isn't that touching?" a voice said behind us. We all turned around to see who it was.

My face broke into a grin. "What's up, Thals?"

Thalia smirked. "Not much, Perce. I haven't seen you in a while, though. How've you been?"

"Pretty good." Thalia Grace was an honorary member of the Demigods. There weren't really any girls in the gang, but if there was Thalia would be one of them. She was tough as nails, and she knew how to handle herself in a sticky situation. She was also one of my best friends.

She came forward and hugged me. Unlike with Calypso and Drew, I didn't feel threatened or uncomfortable. I closed my eyes and inhaled. Her familiar pine tree scent filled my nostrils and I smiled. "I missed you," she said.

"I missed you, too." I let go of her, and she walked over to where Nico was standing. They stood together, but they were trying way too hard not to touch. I narrowed my eyes. I couldn't have been gone _that_ long.

"So what've I missed, guys?"

Nico, my second-in-command, shrugged. "Not much. We tried not to get into too much trouble, but Travis here got into a fight with the Guard the other night. Apparently eight robberies in a month is too much for the Guard to ignore, even the one's you've bought." He eyed me suspiciously. "So, where've you been for the last two weeks? The most you've ever stayed away is three or four days. What happened?"

"I had to take care of some things at home," I answered.

Thalia must have sensed the tension in my voice because her eyes filled with concern. "What's wrong? Did something happen with your mom? Is Tyson okay?"

I sighed. Thalia knew me too well. "It's Gabe. I found out he started hitting my mom again." I clenched and unclenched my fists, remembering the bruise that covered the side of her face. Just thinking about it made me want to kill something. Specifically, Gabe.

Travis pulled out his lucky knife. "We can take him."

"Yeah, man, we got your back. We'll make sure he leaves your mom alone." When Nico lost his mom in a building collapse, my mom had given him a place to stay. He knew how awesome and sweet she was, and he was almost as protective of her as I was.

"Thanks, guys, but there's nothin' we can do. If something happens to that asshole, the Guard is gonna know right away that it was me or one of you. That's all the excuse Octavian would need to have me hanged."

Everyone was quiet at that. It sucked that my mom couldn't find a nice guy to be with. She always had the worst luck, but she was the nicest person. It wasn't fair.

I might have only been sixteen, but I was the leader of the Demigods. I was the green-eyed thief. I could get any girl I wanted. I could talk myself out of any situation.

But I couldn't even protect my own mother.

"I need a distraction, guys." I brushed aside all thoughts about my mom and Gabe. I put on a cocky grin. "Who's ready to have some fun?"

**And that is the internal struggle of Percy. I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'll post again as soon as I can, but I don't know when that will be. I think next chapter is going back to Annabeth, but that might change. Also I have a question:**

**If I'm going to swear in this fanfic (using the f word and such things) do I have to write it like this (f***) or can I just say it? Because I think that asterisks are stupid, but I'm not changing the rating to M. So if someone could answer that, I'd be very happy!**

**Reviews please! Love you peoples 3 ~Belle **


	3. Annabeth again

**Hello people of the fandom! So I was on Tumblr and I saw all of this stuff about HoO and it was completely wonderful. I don't know if you guys know this or not, but the first chapter of MoA was released AND so was the cover! It looks amazing! And I think they said it comes out on October 2. Or I'm just making that up. Don't hurt me if I'm wrong. **

**Also, this story will remain T. Partly because I don't feel like writing weird things (you know what I mean). Partly because my mom found out about this story and decided that she wanted to read it. Hi Mommy!**

**Shout Outs:**

**Morbid bookworm****: That's what I thought, but thank you for clearing that up**

**HerCrimsonTears**

**Nikita Jackson 1997**

**SmilingSim**

**MIGHTY RULER OF GUMMY BEARS: ****I would be quite sad if you stopped my heart…**

**PJOOF16**

**Gemms333**

**BritPit**

**Raise The Dead**

**ChildOfWisdom**

**LobstaFace17**

**Fennendra**

**Mythomagic-Champion**

**Here is the next chapter!**

Chapter 3- Annabeth

_Tomorrow_, I thought. _Just one more day of freedom_.

It was the day before my sixteenth birthday. My father and Heidi were going insane over my party. It would start the next evening and would go until the early hours of the day after. Part of me was looking forward to a night of dancing, presents, and endless fun. Unfortunately, part of me was also dreading the fact that my future husband would be there.

Heidi had told me three days earlier that my father had chosen a husband for me. She wouldn't tell me who it was, but she assured me that he was very handsome and that he had plenty of money to support me with. Apparently, he was the son of a wealthy nobleman and would inherit a large estate. Heidi said that he was perfect for me. However, Heidi and I have a _very_ different definition of "perfect."

Since this was my last day as a fifteen-year-old, Dad had agreed to let me spend the entire day with Rachel. She wouldn't have to start planning her party yet, (it wasn't for another few months) so she was free, too. I was getting ready to leave when I heard someone knock on my door.

"Come in," I called out. I was putting just a touch of makeup on when Dad walked into the room. If Heidi had been there, she would have insisted that I use more, but I liked it better when I only used a little.

"Hey there, Annie." Dad was the only person I allowed to call me Annie. I really hated that name, but Dad had called me that since I was little. I didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. "I have a little present for you."

I turned towards him, smiling. "My birthday isn't until tomorrow, Dad."

"I know, I know. But I couldn't wait. I really want you to open this now." He handed me a little gray box tied with a simple white bow. I untied it and opened the box. My eyes widened when I saw what was inside.

"Dad….it's beautiful."

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to me. He lifted the small silver bracelet from the box and held it up. "It was your mothers." A small, gray owl hung on the bracelet. "I know she would have wanted you to have it. I planned on waiting until tomorrow to give it to you, but I thought today would be better, in case your reaction was a little…emotional."

I stared at the bracelet in awe as my father clasped it around my wrist. My voice caught in my throat, and tears filled my eyes. I didn't have anything to remember my mother by. I didn't even have a picture of her. My father told me that I didn't look too much like her, but my gray eyes that scared and fascinated so many people came from her. Dad said that I got my brain from her, too. Other than this bracelet, though, I had nothing.

I was a baby when my mother left. Apparently, she hated the palace life even more than I do. At heart, she was a warrior. Before marrying my father, she lived in the mountains, where she would ride horses and practice her fighting skills. She was strong and independent, and she wasn't one to sit still and gossip. That's why she left me, according to my father. She couldn't take it anymore. She roamed the mountains and traveled across the realm for a few years after that, but word was sent to my father that she caught the Sickness and died. I was about six at the time.

I was never angry at my mother for leaving me. I could understand why she wanted to go. But sometimes I wished she had taken me with her.

Finally I was able to speak. "Thank you, Daddy." I reached over and hugged him. "I love it."

"I knew you would, Annie." He kissed the top of my head and stood up. "I think Princess Rachel will be here soon. Make sure you've got everything you need. And_ be careful_."

I rolled my eyes. "We're going to be in a carriage with an escort from the King's Guard. We'll be _fine_." My father was a little concerned about what I planned to do on my last day of freedom. Rachel and I were visiting Hades, the poor town right outside of Olympus. We wanted to go by ourselves, but there was no way that the Queen would let us. We ended up with an escort, but Dad was still a little worried. "Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

The look on Dad's face told me that he could think of plenty of things that could go wrong, but he didn't say anything except, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad."

When I got downstairs, Rachel was waiting for me. I showed her my bracelet, which she liked very much. We walked outside where the carriage was waiting for us.

"Captain Octavian, we're ready to go," Rachel said to a tall boy with sandy blonde hair. He wasn't very attractive, and Annabeth thought that his eyes were roaming away from her face a little too much. She shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze, but glared at him until he looked away.

"All right, Your Highness, my Lady. You don't have anything to worry about. We'll make sure that you stay perfectly safe. Just enjoy the ride, and if you want some privacy you can draw the curtains on the sides." He helped us into the carriage, but his hands lingered a little too long on my lower back, which made me angry. After he closed the door, I turned to Rachel, fuming.

She rolled her eyes. "Just forget about him. He's creepy, but he does his job well. He's very good at catching criminals." The carriage started moving forward, and we headed towards Hades.

It took us a while to reach the edge of Olympus. We passed by huge, fancy houses and elaborate gardens. Green parks surrounded us and the smell of flowers was in the air. However, when the white gates separating Olympus from Hades opened up, I felt like I had been dumped into a completely different world.

As the carriage traveled down the streets, I looked around. It was very dirty, and the few people we passed by looked sickly and angry. In fact, quite a few of them glared at us as we passed. I looked at Rachel. She was just as shocked as I was by the sight of this city. We'd never actually ventured out here, but we always assumed that our parents were over exaggerating when they said it was a terrible place. I couldn't believe that my beautiful mansion estate was only a 30 minute carriage ride away from this destitute city.

"I can't believe this," Rachel muttered. She looked at me, tears in her eyes. "I'm supposed to rule the realm with my husband one day. How am I going to be a good Queen if I don't know what's happening right outside my palace?"

I scooted closer to her and put my arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It's not your fault that you didn't know. We've never even left Olympus before now."

"Exactly, Annabeth. There's so much that we haven't seen before. We've only seen a glimpse of what really goes on here. If I'm going to rule one day, I need to know what's happening." We sat in silence for a few minutes as the carriage continued deeper into Hades. The buildings and streets gradually began to look shabbier and dirtier. To tell the truth, I was a little scared.

I didn't notice that we had stopped until I heard a knock on the carriage door. I opened it when I saw that it was Octavian. "Why have we stopped?" I asked.

He looked a little shaken. "There's been a problem, my Lady. It seems that some of the Guardsmen have disappeared without notice. I think they've been attacked. I'm going to suggest you close these curtains while I see what I can do."

"What do you mean they've been attacked? Are they going to be all right?"

"Don't worry about them right now, Your Highness. Our first priority is getting you and Lady Annabeth to safety as soon as possible. I'm afraid your tour is going to have to be cut short. Now, please close these curtains." He shut the door and I obediently closed the curtains. Rachel and I spoke in whispers, trying to figure out what was going on. Then we heard shouts from outside.

Rachel and I were dead silent. It sounded like two men fighting. I could hear Octavian's deep voice shouting something, then another voice I didn't recognize answering back. I heard the sound of a sword being drawn, and I looked at Rachel, frightened. She looked as scared as I felt. Finally, the noise outside stopped.

I didn't know what to do, so I just sat there, not saying a word. I jumped when suddenly I heard a knock on the carriage door. I looked to Rachel again, and she nodded. Slowly, I pulled back the curtain and stared in fright at what I saw.

A pair of green eyes stared back at me.

**MWAHAHAHAHA I leave you with a cliffy! I know this isn't really the bestest chapter in the whole world, but I wanted to get it out before the weekend. I'll try to post again before Monday, but I might not be able to. I'm going to go watch Legend of Korra now, but I hope you all have wondrous weekends! ~Belle**


	4. Annabeth and Percy

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update. I couldn't find inspiration, but I think I've figured my stuff out. **

**IMPORTANTE: Did you guys see the new website that the creator has created? It's called and it's amazing. So far. But whatever. I expect great things from Sir Rick.**

**Shout Outs:**

**Mythomagic-Champion**

**laura loom****: You reviewed twice! YAY! **

**PanicxAtxThexDiscoxFan**

**Gemms333****: Aw shucks, thanks! That really means a lot to me :D**

**The Innocent Little Human****: I love medieval times! Hence Hades being that way**

**DJ Awesome101:**** I'm glad you enjoyed my twistiness!**

**BritPit****: I am honored to have given you your first shoutout :D**

**Chapter Time!**

Chapter 4- Annabeth and Percy

Annabeth

I screamed shrilly and jumped back towards Rachel and the other side of the carriage, getting as far away from those green eyes as possible. Rachel and I pressed ourselves against the far corner as the door opened slowly. I could feel Rachel trembling next to me.

"Hello, ladies. What brings you to our fair town?" A smirk played across the boy's face as he looked us over. "After all, we don't usually get your kind here."

Rachel's voice cracked and shook as she spoke. "P-please. We didn't mean a-any harm. We were just taking a ride through the town."

He snorted. "What? You thought you'd just take an afternoon drive through the slums? Daddy's castle wasn't good enough for you?"

_He's making fun of us_, I thought. My eyes narrowed. As usual, when it came to my pride, I got a little carried away.

"Don't talk to her like that!" I yelled at him. He looked slightly taken aback by my sudden outburst. He glared back at me. When he realized I wasn't going to look away first, he laughed.

"You've got nerve, kid." The next few moments went by in a blur as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. Before I could say a word, he was in the carriage next to me, pinning my arms to my sides and holding his knife to my throat. "But in Hades, nerve is what gets you killed."

I could hear Rachel pleading next to me as I tried not to swallow. I stared into his eyes without moving. This guy was obviously a criminal, but there was something in his beautiful green eyes that made me sad. I could see pain in them, and for a second I almost felt sorry for him. _No_, I thought. _He's a monster. He'll kill you if you aren't careful_.

I tried to focus on Rachel's voice. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "She didn't mean it! Please, just let us go! We won't bother you, I promise. We'll never speak of this again. Don't kill us, please!"

He didn't look at Rachel. He kept his eyes on me, studying my face. His head was cocked to one side, as if he was thinking about something. Finally, he spoke. "I'll let both of you go. _If_," he pressed his knife a little closer to my throat, "this one apologizes to me."

"Annabeth, apologize!"

He smirked. "Yeah, Annie, I wanna hear an apology."

My blood boiled, and I didn't feel sorry for him anymore. Not even a little. I spit in his face. "Don't. Call. Me. Annie."

He gritted his teeth. Keeping the knife pressed to my throat with one hand, he shifted so that his body was pinning me down instead of his arm. With his free hand, he wiped the saliva off of his face. Then he turned back to me, murder in his eyes. "I ought to slit your throat for that," he said quietly. His voice was soft, but there was a coldness to it that made me shiver. He looked like he was getting ready to kill me when a voice sounded from outside.

"Percy? Are you still here?" It was a boy's voice.

Without turning from me, the boy, who must have been Percy, called back, "In the carriage, Nico."

I looked over Percy's shoulder and saw a boy with black hair and black eyes pop his head in the door. He rolled his eyes. "Dammit, Perce, You just can't stay away from the ladies, can you?"

"They were being escorted by Octavian. I couldn't help but screw with him some."

"Well, I'd hate to cut your fun short, but we gotta scram. Did you see the insignia on the carriage?"

"I didn't pay too much attention."

"Of course you didn't. Why am I not surprised?" Nico said sarcastically. "It's one of the personal carriages for the King of Olympus. You know what that means?"

Percy finally turned away from me to look at Nico. I didn't dare move because his knife was still too close to my throat. After a second, he looked back at me and Rachel, glaring at me mostly.

"All right," he said. "Which one of you is the Princess of Olympus?"

Rachel squeaked and half raised her hand. "That would be me."

"And who's this bitch?" he asked, referring to me.

"Annabeth. Her father is the chief advisor for my dad."

"Dammit," Percy swore. He climbed off of me and released his hold on my arms. I rubbed them, trying to get the blood flowing since he cut off my circulation. "I suppose if you're that important I can't really kill you, can I?" He frowned, as if this really inconvenienced him.

"So if I weren't important, you would kill me?"

Percy thought for a moment. Then he nodded. "Probably. But alas, I cannot. I'm gonna have to steal something from you, though. I can't just let you go." He glanced sideways at Nico, who was trying not to laugh. "I have a reputation to uphold."

"A reputation? As what, a murdering thief?"

Nico laughed. "Oh, she got you, Perce."

Percy shoved him and narrowed his eyes. They landed on my mother's bracelet. "That," he said, pointing to it. "Give me the bracelet."

I held my wrist to my chest, cradling it against me. "No. You can't have this."

He cocked his head to the side. "Why not? Daddy can't buy you a new one?"

I shook my head. "Please, you can have anything else. But you can't take my bracelet."

He glared, fingering his knife. "Give me the bracelet, or I'll kill you both."

Rachel paled. "Annabeth, just give it to him."

I glared at her, tears filling my eyes. The only thing that I had ever gotten that belonged to my mother, and I was going to lose it on the first day I had it. My vision blurred as I removed it from my wrist and threw it at his face. He caught it easily and put it in his pocket.

"A pleasure doing business with you, ladies. Now, if you'll excuse us, I do believe the Guard is on their way. They'll bring you back to Daddy." I watched as the two boys turned away, laughing and joking with each other.

A few minutes later, the Guard showed up. They asked us if we had been hurt, and we said we hadn't. They said that they found Captain Octavian, beat up and unconscious in a nearby alley. Apparently, the rest of the Guard escorting us had been picked off one by one. However, no one was dead or had suffered any serious injuries.

The Guard that rescued us asked us if we saw anyone or if any suspicious people approached us. I glanced at Rachel, who shook her head. Then I turned back to the Guardsman.

"We didn't see anyone."

Percy

"You know, Percy, when you said that you needed a distraction I thought you meant a girl. Not trying to get yourself killed." Thalia didn't find my story nearly as funny as Travis and Connor did.

"Well, technically he was with a girl when I found him," Nico said. "Two of them."

"Were they hot?" Connor asked excitedly.

Nico was about to answer when Thalia said, "Think carefully before you answer that question."

Nico gulped. "Uh…well, they weren't _bad_ looking."

Connor rolled his eyes and looked at me. "Were they hot?"

I shrugged. "I guess. But that's not even the good part." I leaned in, lowering my voice, even though no one else was around to overhear. "One of them was the Princess of Olympus."

Everyone except Nico stared at me in shock. Thalia was the first one to speak. And she was pissed. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish or something? If you thought the Guard was after you before, they're gonna be everywhere now! Didn't you think about Tyson and your mom? What happens to them if the Guard finds out you're related to them? They're probably gonna get killed right along with you! And what about us? They aren't gonna rest until we're all dead, you idiot!"

"Thalia, calm down," Nico said soothingly. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I sent out Grover and Beckendorf to go check on things. They said that the Guard wasn't searching for Percy."

I looked at him. "So what does that mean?"

"It means that the Princess and her friend must've decided not to talk about you."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, she did say that she was gonna pretend it didn't happen."

Thalia rolled her eyes, but she looked a lot calmer now. "Still. You can't go around doing that. Stay away from the rich people. They just add complications." She looked right at Travis as she said that.

Travis glared at her. "Katie isn't a complication! I-I love her!"

"And she's probably forgotten that you exist. Move on, Trav. You can't keep pining after her."

"Shut up, Thalia! Just because Luke left you doesn't mean that all rich people are bad." He got up and stormed out of the warehouse without turning back. Connor got up and ran after him.

I looked at Thalia. She was slightly pale. "You know he didn't mean it, Thals. He's just a little worked up." She didn't say anything, but she nodded, closing her eyes and leaning back against Nico. I looked at the two of them. They were an unlikely couple, but they worked well together. As long as they were both happy, I was okay with it.

"What are you gonna do with that bracelet?" Nico asked.

I'd almost forgotten about it. I pulled it out of my pocket and stared at it. It had a small silver owl hanging off of it. The bracelet didn't look like it would cost too much. I probably couldn't sell it. I wondered why the gray-eyed girl…Annabeth, that was her name…had been so upset when I took it from her. _Whatever_, I thought. _She probably didn't want to tell Daddy that she lost it_.

"I don't know. Do you want it, Thals?" She shook her head and I shrugged, putting it back in my pocket. "I'd give it to my mom, but she wouldn't like it if she knew it was stolen. I guess I could give it to Calypso, but that would just cause more problems."

"Didn't you break up with her?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, I did. Three times actually. But she just won't take no for an answer."

Thalia shrugged. "She's used to getting what she wants. She wants you."

I leaned back, groaning. "But I don't want her."

Nico laughed. "Yeah. You want that girl. Annabeth."

I sat up and glared at him. "Are you kidding? I had a five minute talk with her. And she seemed like a complete bitch." I rolled my eyes. "Typical rich girl."

"No, she seemed like a challenge." Nico looked completely serious. "And you do love challenges."

I just shook my head at that. He was right, I did love a good challenge. But would I really go after someone that was my complete opposite? After all, she was rich and I was poor. I had to work for everything, and she probably had it served to her on a silver platter. There was no way I could ever be with someone like that. Even if they did have beautiful blonde hair and piercing gray eyes, and…

"Percy?" Thalia's voice drew me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her. "Promise me that you won't go do something stupid. Please."

I smiled at her. "I promise, Thals."

I never was very good at keeping promises.

**All right, there you are. I won't be able to update again for a while, but I will be back as soon as I can. I love you all very much! Especially those who review (hint, hint)! I'm gonna go watch Legend of Korra now. Bye! ~Belle**

**P.S.- I just noticed that this story was added to a Community (Percy Jackson Stories That Rock). This excites me very very much! YAY! (Thanks Mythomagic-Champion!) **

**All right bye for reals now! ~Belle**


	5. Annabeth IV

**HI guysies! How've you been? This is the first time I've been on my laptop since my last update, and I saw all of the reviews, and I got really happy! You guys are so super nice. I love all of the following people very, very much:**

**Dragonbrightscale**

**anon: ****Thanks! I'm really glad you like it so much :D**

**April:**** You are the sweetest person ever! And you've reviewed 4 TIMES since my last update. I love you 3**

**Annechase:**** Yes! I LOVE Legend of Korra with all of my heart. It's one of my favorite shows (I'm such a nerd). Makorra FTW!**

**3 words FAB. **

**The Innocent Little Human****: haha that's okay, I thank you for reviewing anyway.**

**BritPit**

**Gemms333**

**Mythomagic-Champion****: Seriously though it made my day when I saw that. And thank you!**

**laura loom**

**HerCrimsonTears**

**godessgirl23**

**LobstaFace17**

**AnnabethChasePJO: ****Oh goodness, thank you! And I know it was sad, but I had to do it. It comes up later in the plot.**

**I know I don't always update quickly, but I always try to write you guys quality chapters. Thanks for being so patient and such awesome people in general. Now, onto the chapter!**

Chapter 5- Annabeth

I woke up when I heard a door slam shut loudly. My eyes shot open and I sat up so quickly that my head started spinning. I closed my eyes and rubbed them with the back of my hands, trying to stop the spinning. I heard footsteps coming towards me, and I felt someone sit next to me on my bed.

"Sorry, Annabeth. I didn't think the door would be that loud."

As soon as I heard that voice, I broke into a huge smile. "Malcolm!" I threw my arms around him in a big hug. "You came!"

He laughed as he hugged me back. "I couldn't miss my little sister's birthday, could I? How are you?"

"I'm good." Malcolm was my only sibling who had my mother and my father for parents. Matthew and Bobby, my younger brothers, were both Heidi's children. "How's Peggy?"

"She's fine, but she couldn't make it. She was feeling sick before I left, so I told her to stay home and rest. She sends her birthday wishes, though." Malcolm married Peggy two years ago, when he was eighteen and she was sixteen. It was an arranged marriage, but, thankfully, Peggy was a nice girl. It didn't take long for her and Malcolm to actually fall in love with each other.

"Well, I hope she feels better. I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too, Annabeth. I tried to come visit a couple months ago, but there was too much bad weather." He smiled. "I guess that's what happens when you move half way across the realm." When Malcolm and Peggy got married, they moved to Ithaca. It had fertile, rich soil, and it was great for growing crops, which is what Malcolm wanted to do. Because Malcolm lived right by the northern border, he could also watch for invading forces from the surrounding realms. It was a good place to live, but it was at least a three day journey to Olympus, so I rarely got to see my favorite brother.

"But enough about me," he said. "How are you? Dad told me that the Guard abandoned you in Hades yesterday."

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach as the memories came back to me: the depressing houses; the dirty streets; the shocked look on Rachel's face; and finally those beautiful green eyes on that horrible boy who took my bracelet. Percy. Just thinking about him made me want to scream and cry.

"It wasn't that bad. I mean, Rachel and I were scared to death, but we got through it okay."

"And you didn't see anyone?"

"No. Like I told Dad, we kept the curtain closed the entire time."

The hard look he gave me told me that he didn't quite believe what I was saying. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Annabeth, are you sure?"

"Why? Don't you believe me?"

He just kept staring at me. Finally he said, "I was talking to Octavian, the Captain of the Guard. He said that he didn't abandon you; he was attacked. By a criminal." Malcolm leaned forward and lowered his voice, even though we were the only people in my bedroom. "Do you know who Percy Jackson is, Annabeth?"

The way Malcolm said his name sent chills down my spine. It erased any doubt from my mind that yesterday had been a terrible dream. Malcolm didn't look angry, he looked scared. I wanted to know why.

"If I tell you what happened, you have to promise me that you won't tell Dad."

"Annabeth-"

"_Promise_ or I won't say another word."

Malcolm sighed. "Fine, but you have to tell me everything."

I nodded. Then I told him everything. I told him about Hades and how sad it made me feel. I told him about how scared I was when we heard the fighting outside the carriage. Malcolm stiffened and touched my neck lightly when I told him that Percy held a knife to it. I told him about Nico and he nodded. "Nico di Angelo," he explained. "He's another criminal." Finally, I told Malcolm about how Percy had taken my bracelet. A tear slipped down my cheek, and Malcolm brushed it away with his thumb.

"Percy Jackson could be hanged for what he did to you and Rachel."

"But he didn't really do anything except take Mom's bracelet."

"Yeah, and if it was anyone else it probably wouldn't matter. But it _wasn't_ anyone else. It was the Princess of Olympus and her best friend, the daughter of the second most powerful man in the realm. _That's_ why this is such a big deal. If I told the Guard what happened, they would tear Hades apart looking for him. He would be dead by tonight."

"But you won't. You promised me that you wouldn't say anything."

"Annabeth, he could have hurt you!"

"But he didn't!"

"So? If he hadn't been scared off, he might have tried something. You said yourself that he held a knife to your neck!"

"Don't you think that if he wanted to kill me he would have? He's obviously not an idiot. He knows which lines not to cross." Malcolm began to argue, but I stopped him. "No. You promised me that you wouldn't say anything. I'm holding you to that."

"Annabeth, you don't understand how dangerous this guy is! He's hurt people before, and not just people from Hades. He's hurt people from Olympus, too."

I stared at him. "What? Who? Why?"

He shook his head. "I'm not going to tell you what happened. You can ask him yourself when you meet him tonight." He kissed my cheek and stood up. "Just promise me that you won't ever go to Hades again. It's too dangerous there."

"Fine. But Malcolm?"

He turned towards me with his hand on the door knob. "Yes?"

"Can you at least tell me who it was that Percy hurt?"

He bit his lip. "I guess I can. It was Luke Castellan. Do you know who that is? He's the son of that nobleman with the golden wings crest. His dad has that staff with the snakes carved into it."

I nodded. "I know who he is." I narrowed my eyes and frowned. "But I barely know him. Why would he be at my party?"

Now it was Malcolm's turn to look confused. "Dad didn't tell you yet?"

"Tell me what?"

Malcolm stared at me. "I can't believe he didn't tell you. He knows that you hate surprises." Malcolm shook his head in disbelief. "Dad invited Luke and his father to your party. He wanted you to officially meet them."

I felt my stomach sink as his words hit me. I closed my eyes and leaned back against my pillow. "Oh no."

"I don't think you were supposed to find out like this, Annabeth."

I just kept my eyes closed as I asked Malcolm one final question. "Why did Dad decide that I should meet him now?"

"You already know why, Annabeth."

"I want to hear you say it."

I heard Malcolm sigh. "Dad wanted you to have a chance to spend time with Luke. He thought that the night of your sixteenth birthday would be a good time for you to meet your future husband. You're going to marry Luke Castellan."

**Okay I know it's kinda short, don't kill me! I will update within the next 2 days to make it up to you, but I wanted to get this up before tomorrow (because I'll be too busy watching the Legend of Korra season finale!). I hope you guys liked it okay. Next chapter is the partaaaay and Luke's entrance. Have a lovely weekend! ~Belle**


	6. Annabeth and a bit of Percy

**Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update as soon as I said I would, but I made this chapter super long to make up for it! So I read a lot of books that are super wonderful and great, and I've decided that I'm going to do a Book of the Day type thing. Not for any specific reason…just because.**

**Belle's Book: **_**The Name of the Star**_** by Maureen Johnson. It's the first book in The Shades of London series. It starts when this girl named Rory moves to a London boarding school and someone starts murdering people "Ripper style." Then, Rory discovers that she has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. It is quite a good read!**

**Shout Outs:**

**Word Goddess:**** I was actually watching Aladdin when I came up with this story. I got the title from the song that starts out with "Riff raff, street rat, I don't buy that…" It's one of my very favorite Disney movies!**

**MIGHTY RULER OF GUMMY BEARS**

**April: ****Thanks! But Percy and Annabeth did meet…in Chapter 4. Did you mean Luke? Because if you keep reading they're about to meet :D**

**morbid bookworm**

**Annechase: ****Isn't it wonderful? Between Amon's backstory, the Makorra, Zuko/Iroh's voice, and the last 4 minutes of the finale I was sobbing.**

**HerCrimsonTears:**** Yay for Korra! Sorry about the lack of Percy, but he's in this one a bit! **

**Gemms333:**** Sorry I know it's starting slow, but I wanted to set the scene before stuff started happening. Otherwise you would have been quite confused. Don't worry, things pick up starting in this chapter.**

**The Innocent Little Human**

**Mythomagic-Champion**

**MashPotatoeSquishBanana****: I love your name. Just saying. And this story is supposed to be kinda medeivally. Even Thalia, who isn't a princess, doesn't wear shorts and Tshirts because they don't exist in the story.**

**unknown lunatic****: First of all, I love your picture (Cookie Monster is beautiful). And yeah it was in the summary, Annabeth just isn't taking it well.**

**spreadmywings-touchthesky****: Hey! I know you. And yeah I'm such a troll…mwahahaha!**

Chapter 6- Annabeth and Percy

Annabeth

I stood outside the enormous doors of the grand hall, waiting to go into my party. Heidi said that my entrance should be dramatic and that I should arrive at least a half hour after the party had started. I didn't understand that. I always found it rude when people arrived late to their own parties. I tried to leave on time, but Heidi barricaded my door so that I couldn't escape. Now, I was almost 45 minutes late, and I was not happy.

Rachel was waiting for me when I got there. The party was at the palace because the hall there was bigger, so Rachel was the first one there. "Better late than never," she said, grinning.

"It's not my fault," I muttered. "She pushed a stone table in front of my door so that I couldn't open it."

Rachel laughed. "That sounds just like Heidi. Come on, everyone's waiting for you." She turned around and pushed open the door, grabbing me by the wrist.

I had to admit, Heidi did a really good job planning the decorations. The entire hall was covered in silver. Silver banners, silver chairs, silver tablecloths, women swirling around in silver dresses. Even Rachel, I noticed, was wearing her shiny silver tiara on top of her crazy red curls. I barely noticed the man announcing my entrance. It wasn't until Rachel tugged on my wrist that I began walking down the stairs to the people waiting below.

I felt a little uncomfortable as everyone stared at me, so I focused intently on my father, who was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, a big smile covering his face. When I reached him, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me on the forehead. "Happy Birthday, Annie."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad." His eyes flickered to my wrist for a second. I saw him notice that my mother's bracelet wasn't there. He frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. When he looked at me, I just smiled and tried not to lose it.

Heidi gave me a big hug, too. I could tell that she was anxious, so I said, "Everything looks beautiful." That made her smile, and it seemed to calm her down some.

Finally, Rachel and I walked over to where her parents sat on a raised dais. Even though this was my party, the King and Queen were still the most important people in attendance. Therefore, I had to greet them formally before the party could _really_ begin.

I curtsied exactly how I had been taught, bowing my head slightly so that my blonde curls fell into my face. The Queen stood and took my hands in hers, kissing my cheek lightly. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The King also gave his birthday greeting, and I responded. Then I curtsied again, and the party officially began.

Rachel handed me a small card. "Three old guys, two noblemen, your father, and then dinner. We're sitting with Katie, Silena, Silena's sister Lacy, Reyna, and Piper. We can talk then."

"Okay, I'll see you later." I looked at the card she had given me. It was customary for girls to be given a dance card at all parties in Olympus. Some people, like Silena's little sister, were too young to get a dance card. Normally I wouldn't have so many people on my card, but since this was my party it had been all filled up.

I didn't pay too much attention to the first three people I danced with. They talked _at_ me rather than talking _to_ me, and they were all at least 60 years older than me. The fourth person was a little more interesting. I'd seen him at parties before, but I'd never had a chance to really talk to him. His name was Butch. He looked tough and scary, but after talking to him for a while I found out that he was actually hilarious. I didn't stop laughing the entire time I was with him. He told me that he had a tattoo of a rainbow, and I burst out laughing. An old lady dancing nearby looked over at us with a disgusted expression, which made us both laugh even harder. He was the first person I'd actually enjoyed dancing with that night.

As the song ended, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?" a voice said behind me.

Butch shrugged. He smiled at me before walking away. "It was nice to meet you, Annabeth. Happy Birthday."

"It was nice to meet you, too, Butch," I called after him. Then I turned around.

As soon as I saw whose hand was on my shoulder, my eyes widened and my stomach dropped. I looked at my card for reassurance. Sure enough, printed in dark, swirling letters was the name "Sir Luke Castellan."

"Hi," he said. "I think it's my turn to dance with the birthday girl." He held out his hand to me.

I narrowed my eyes, not sure if he was making fun of me. Still I placed my hand in his and put my other hand on his shoulder. He put his hand on my waist and pulled me closer to him. Then the dance started.

Neither one of us said anything. I could tell that he was checking me out, so I did the same thing. He had muscular arms, but he was still skinny. He had short, sandy blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes. They weren't as pretty as Percy's but…

My thoughts were interrupted by Luke's voice. "So, I don't know if anyone mentioned anything to you-"

"I know," I said bluntly, cutting him off. At his startled expression I softened my voice. "Sorry. My brother told me this morning. I'm still…getting used to the idea, I guess."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. My father didn't tell me until after all of the arrangements had been made. I just don't want you to think that we got together behind your back. I didn't know anything about it either."

I nodded and studied his face. He was definitely handsome, but he had a thin scar running from the corner of his eye to just above his jawline. I wanted to touch it, but I kept my hands under control.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" I inclined my head towards his scar.

"Oh," he said. He brought our joined hands up to his cheek, out of habit. "It's really not a very interesting story. I got into a fight with someone. They happened to have a knife with them."

I nodded again, remembering how Malcolm said that Luke had been hurt by Percy. "Who did you get into a fight with? And why?"

Luke laughed a little. "You ask a lot of questions, my Lady. I doubt you would know who it was. He doesn't live in Olympus. And I really can't remember the reason we were fighting in the first place. We were arguing, and then he pulled out a knife."

I shuddered slightly. The same knife that scarred Luke could have been held to my throat only a day before. "You must have been frightened."

He cracked a smile. "Don't worry, my Lady, I have no intention of ever seeing that boy again. Now, perhaps we could change the subject? I feel like we should talk about happier things on your birthday."

We made small talk as we twirled around the dance floor. I could feel the eyes of my guests on me. At one point, I made eye contact with Heidi, and she smiled brightly at me. At another time, I saw Rachel raising her eyebrows and smirking. Throughout all of this Luke and I kept dancing and talking. He seemed nice enough, and he was certainly handsome, but the way he talked to me made me feel inferior. He acted as if I was some helpless little girl that he had to take care of. _If that's what he thinks, he's in for a big surprise_, I thought.

The dance ended and my father came up to us, smiling. "I'm so glad you two have met! Now, Luke, your father wanted to speak to you. I do believe he's delivering messages to the nobles over there." My father pointed toward the side of the room where chairs and tables were set up. Sure enough, Lord Castellan was running back and forth between tables, delivering and receiving messages.

Luke bowed to my father. "Thank you, my Lord." He turned to me and took my hand, kissing it. "It was a pleasure dancing with you, Annabeth. Have a wonderful birthday."

I blushed slightly. "The pleasure was mine. And thank you, Luke." He flashed a grin at me, exposing a mouth full of pearly white teeth, and turned away.

"Well?" my father asked. "How did it go?"

I laughed at my dad. "It went fine. You picked well." He looked confused for a second, so I explained. "Malcolm told me this morning."

Dad frowned. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

I rolled my eyes. "You know I hate surprises, Dad."

"Yes, I know. Now, are you going to tell me why you aren't wearing your mother's bracelet? I thought for sure that you would have it on tonight."

"Oh," I hesitated. Should I tell him the truth? _No_, I thought. _That would only make things worse_. "I was afraid that it might fall off while I was dancing. This hall is so big, and I'd never be able to find it. I wanted to keep it safe."

"All right, sweetheart. As long as it stays safe." I felt an ache in my heart when he said that. I hated lying to my dad, and the fact that I had lost the only thing I had ever been given that belonged to my mother made everything so much worse.

We danced, and Dad told me more about Luke. Apparently, Luke would inherit everything that his father had, because he was an only child. That was an obvious benefit for me. Luke would benefit from the marriage because I was Rachel's best friend and would definitely be in her Court when she became Queen of Olympus. This would raise Luke's standing on the social ladder. As an afterthought, Dad added, "And Heidi thought you might find him…attractive."

I blushed and looked down. This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with my dad.

The dance ended soon after that, so I was spared an awkward conversation. I made my way over to the table where Rachel was sitting with Katie, Lacy, and Reyna. I could hear Katie talking arranged marriages and arguing with Lacy. Lacy was for them, Katie against. I silently sat down without them noticing.

"I don't think it's that big of a deal! You might end up with someone _wonderful_!"

"Or you might end up with someone four times your age! With a _bald_ spot." I'd seen Katie dancing with someone of that description earlier. I guess her parents were trying to set her up with him.

Lacy rolled her eyes. "So what? Maybe he'll die soon. Then you get everything and you can marry someone younger."

"Lacy that's terrible!" Rachel exclaimed.

"I'm only joking…well, kind of. But really, Katie, it's not like there's time for dating at Court. Who would you want to marry if you got to choose?"

Katie fingered her locket that she always wore around her neck. "I have someone in mind," she said quietly.

Before Lacy could ask any more questions, Reyna looked up and saw me sitting there. "Hey, birthday girl!" she said, smiling. "Where did you sneak up from?"

I laughed. "I didn't want to interrupt the little argument. Katie, what do you mean you might have someone in mind?"

Katie kept fingering her locket, not looking at any of us. "Never mind," she muttered. "It doesn't matter, anyway."

I started to say something else, but Silena and Piper walked up, Silena looking bubbly and happy as usual, Piper looking mad and frustrated.

When Silena saw me, she threw her arms around me. "Happy Birthday, Annabeth! You look beautiful in that dress. And your hair is _so_ pretty. I wish I had your natural curls, you are so lucky."

I hugged her back. "Thanks, Silena. You look great, too." I looked at Piper who flopped down in the chair next to me. "Hey, Piper." She didn't respond. "You okay?"

She moaned and put her head in her hands. "I hate parties. I hate dancing with stupid old guys. And I_ hate_ my stepmother."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Is Jane bothering you again?"

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "I swear she's trying to get rid of me. She can't stand that my dad loves someone more than her. And she blames me for _everything_."

I felt bad for Piper. Sure, I had quite a few problems with Heidi, but it was nothing compared to what Piper had to deal with. Her mother had died when she was younger, too, and, like my dad, her father had remarried. Jane only thought about herself. She hated Piper and tried constantly to get her in trouble. "What did she do this time?"

Piper sighed. "She's trying to convince my father that I should marry that old guy, something Hedge."

Rachel choked on her water. "Lord Gleeson Hedge? The guy who looks like a goat?"

Piper nodded sadly. "That's him."

Reyna narrowed her eyes. "But I thought you were going to tell your father that you wanted to marry Jason."

"I did," Piper cried. "But Jane convinced him that Jason doesn't have a high enough standing in the Court. Apparently Lieutenant of the King's Guard isn't as high up as a Lord is. I have to sneak out just so that I can see him."

Reyna reached over the table and took Piper's hand. "It'll be okay. You and Jason will figure something out."

Piper smiled for the first time. "Thanks, Reyna."

That's what I loved about Reyna. You would never guess it, but she and Jason used to be a couple. Actually, it was Reyna who introduced Piper to Jason. Reyna was the first to realize that she didn't like Jason the way that she used to. They broke up, and Piper realized how much _she_ liked Jason. Did Reyna get angry? No. She actually set them up together because she wanted her friends to be happy. She was the logical, reasonable one. Unlike me, she didn't let her pride get in the way.

Piper gasped and looked at me. "I didn't even wish you a Happy Birthday!" she said. "Sorry."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's fine. I kind of wish people would stop reminding me."

Lacy frowned. "Why? Aren't you excited that it's your birthday?"

Rachel answered for me as some servants brought our dinner to our table. "She's excited to be sixteen. She just isn't happy that she has to get married."

Everyone looked at me. "You're getting married already?" Silena asked. "I'm 18, and I still haven't gotten married."

"That's because all of your suitors are still fighting over you," Lacy said.

Silena flipped her hair jokingly. "It's not my fault that I'm so popular."

We all laughed and started to eat. There was a little dilemma when Piper realized that there was meat on her plate, but Rachel took Piper's meat and Piper took Rachel's veggies. Katie's mother came over for a few minutes to wish me a happy birthday and to try and force Katie to eat some cereal with her food. Katie angrily told her mother to leave.

As Katie's mom walked away, Katie stabbed at her vegetables, muttering to herself. Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Did the carrots do something to offend you?"

Katie threw down her fork. "No. I just…" She gestured at her mother. "She's just really making things difficult for me right now."

"Does she have something to do with that person you were talking about earlier?" I asked.

Katie started fingering her locket again. "I can't… I'm sorry, guys. If anyone found out…"

Rachel put a hand over Katie's. "You've known us for years. Do you think that any of us would gossip about you?"

Katie glanced at Lacy, who put her hands up in defense. "I wouldn't say anything!"

Silena glared at her little sister. "If you do, I'll cut off all of your hair while you're sleeping."

"I won't! I promise!"

Katie sighed. The she took off her locket and looked at me. "Do you remember that boy I told you about last year? The one who worked in the stables?" I nodded. "Well, when I told you about him, I really couldn't stand him. He was rude and obnoxious. But one day I heard him talking to the horses about his mom and his brother." She smiled at the memory. "It was…sweet. I don't even know what happened, but we started talking a lot after that. And one day he kissed me." She blushed. "I didn't expect it, but it was nice. I kind of fell in love with him."

Silena sighed. "That's so romantic. But what happened?"

"_She_ found out. I don't know how, but she found out about him, and she had him fired. I gave him my picture before he left so that he could remember me. He gave me this locket." She smirked. "I _really_ hope he didn't steal it. But he probably did." She opened the locket. On one side were the initials "KG." On the other side, the initials "TS." "His name is Travis. Travis Stoll." She closed the locket and held it in her hands. "It's been more than a year since he was fired. I miss him."

"Wait a second," Piper said. "Travis Stoll who lives in Hades?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah. That's why my mom was so mad when she found out. She said it wasn't _respectable_ for a Duchess to be involved with a common _street rat_." She spat the words out as she said them, a perfect imitation of her mother.

Piper frowned. "I think Jason mentioned him once. It had to do with Jason's sister."

"When's the last time he saw her?" I asked.

"He's only seen her once or twice since he became Lieutenant of the Guard. He's afraid that she's hanging out with bad people. Something about a gang."

Katie nodded. "Travis mentioned a gang once, too. He said that he left it when he got the job in the stables. He probably went back to it when he got fired, though."

"Sorry, Katie, but I'm pretty sure he did. Jason said that the gang- the Demigods, I think- have been causing a lot of trouble lately. Especially the leader. Gosh, what was his name? Peter? No, that's not it. Pedro? No. I know it started with a P…"

Rachel set down her fork. "Percy?" she suggested calmly.

"Yeah, that's it! Percy Jackson. He's the gang leader. I guess he's friends with Travis and Jason's sister. Annabeth, are you okay?"

I didn't answer. I was too busy choking on my food.

Percy 

I opened the door slowly and quietly, listening for any sounds. After yesterday's fight with Octavian and meeting those girls in the carriage, I wanted to make sure that my mom and Tyson were okay. I was hoping that Gabe wasn't home. I didn't want to have to deal with him, too.

I didn't hear any of the usual Gabe noises, (snoring, shouting, burping, the sound of evil in a human form) so I figured the coast was clear. I opened the door and called out. "Mom?"

"Percy? Is that you?" she came running out of the bedroom that I shared with Tyson. As soon as she saw me she threw her arms around me. "Oh, Percy, I was so worried! The Guard came by yesterday. They were looking for you." She frowned at me. "You _promised_ me that you would stay out of trouble."

"I'm sorry, Mom. It's just hard for me to keep that promise. I have to support you and Tyson. It's not like _he's_ going to help at all."

Mom sighed. "I know you're trying to help, but I just wish that you would be more careful. I don't want to lose you."

"I know, Mom."

She walked into the kitchen to start dinner. "I got a job today."

"Really? Where?"

"As a maid in Olympus. It pays a lot." She looked at me hopefully. "So maybe you wouldn't have to spend so much time away."

I shook my head. "You know that's not gonna happen. Who hired you?"

"A Lord. His wife passed away a few years ago, and he has no children of his own. I met him in the marketplace, actually."

"What was a Lord doing in the marketplace?"

"Looking for a maid, a cook, and a gardener. He's working on a novel, so he needed people to keep his home looking nice."

"What's his name?"

"Lord Paul Blofis."

I snorted. "You're going to work for Lord Blowfish?"

"Percy," my mother said sternly. She was going to scold me, but just then Tyson came out of the bedroom. He was only twelve, but he was already bigger than me. You could tell that he was going to be huge when he grew up.

He rubbed his big brown eyes sleepily. Then he saw me and his eyes widened. "Big brother!" he shouted. He ran up to me and gripped me in a bear hug, crushing my lungs and almost lifting me off the ground.

"Hey…Tyson," I managed to choke out. "Crushing…me."

He let go and smiled at me, his big eyes filled with happy tears. "I miss you, brother. Will you come home now?"

I smiled sadly. "Can't, big guy. I've got stuff to do. I just wanted to make sure you and Mom are okay." I noticed something. "Wait, Tyson can you turn your head a little." He turned his head to the right. "Other way." Slowly, he moved his head to the left. I reached out and touched the bruise on his cheekbone. He flinched. My blood turned to ice.

"It doesn't hurt bad, brother. I'm okay."

I turned to my mom. "What the hell?" I shouted angrily.

"Percy, please, not in front of your brother."

"Dammit, Mom!" I swore. I knew that she hated me swearing, so I did it on purpose. "It's bad enough that you let him hit you! Now you're letting him hit Tyson?"

She looked like she was going to cry, but I didn't care. I was too angry. Deep down, I knew that I didn't blame her. I didn't even blame Gabe. I blamed myself. Gabe didn't even _think_ about touching my mom when I was around. He knew what I could do to him. As soon as I left, though, he was hitting her again. Every time I came back, there was a new bruise on her face or her wrist. She couldn't wear anything but long dresses with full length sleeves because of the bruises and scars. I always threatened him, but he stopped caring. He knew that my mom would never let me do anything to him. He used that against me.

But now Gabe had hit Tyson. He hurt my baby brother. And he was going to pay for that.

Only seconds passed by, and I heard the door slam open. A drunken Gabe came waddling through the door. He noticed me immediately. He smiled evilly and said, "Well, if it isn't the gangster, coming home to mommy." He laughed at his own joke.

He wasn't laughing a few seconds later when my knife was pressed up against his neck.  
It cut into the soft flesh, and a few drops of blood trickled down. "If you _ever_ touch my brother or my mom again, I swear that I will hunt. You. _Down_." With each word I pressed the knife a little bit harder against his neck. My voice was rigid and tight. It took all of my willpower not to cut his throat right there. But I couldn't do it. Not in front of Tyson.

"Percy, please…" My mother was practically begging me to stop. Finally, I pulled away, shoving my knife back into my jacket. Slowly I turned away from Gabe to look at my mother.

That was my mistake. As soon as my back was turned, he lunged at me. He wrapped his beefy hands around my neck and pushed me to the ground. I could hear my mother screaming, but everything was getting foggy. I was starting to lose focus. I clawed at Gabe's hands, but I couldn't get them off. Everything was going black.

Suddenly I was released. I collapsed on the floor, choking and coughing, taking deep breaths. I heard a dull banging in the background, and Tyson saying something that sounded like, "Not my big brother!" The banging stopped. I rubbed my neck, knowing that I would have bruises there.

Bruises were the least of my worries. I turned around to see why Gabe had let go of me, but my question was answered immediately. Tyson stood in the center of the room, a frying pan in one hand. He gripped it tightly with both hands and he was breathing heavily. Underneath him, Gabe was lying on the floor, his head bent at an unnatural angle.

And he wasn't moving.

**And you guys thought you knew what a cliffhanger was. TROLOLOLOLOL. Yes, I am aware of how trollish I am. Yes, I will probably update soon. No, reviewing is not required (but it is appreciated!). This is the chapter where things begin to pick up. A lot. I hope you guys liked this chapter. There may or may not be another Percabeth meeting in the next chapter. If not the next one, the one after that definitely. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, I love you guys and I thank you for reading my story! ~Belle**


	7. All Percy, All the Time

**Hey guys! I work at a camp for 3-5 year old kids during the week, and on Thursday I tricked this little boy into acting out my entire story with Lego people and a castle. It was really epic, and he totally loved it. I told him that he was the cool gangster guy, and he got so excited. It was adorable! And he actually came up with the awesomest story lines, so I'm going to use the ideas of a five-year-old. I hope that's okay with everyone…**

**Belle's Book: **_**Ten Cents a Dance**_** by Christine Fletcher. It's set in Chicago in 1941. A girl named Ruby is trying to make enough money to support her mother and sister, so she starts working at a dance hall where men pay ten cents to dance with her. She meets this bad boy named Paulie and a lot of bad stuff happens. It's told from Ruby's perspective and is REALLY good (I'm just terrible at descriptions). If you like historical fiction or romance novels you should read it. Seriously.**

**Shout Outs:**

**viper's fang****: You reviewed a lot! Yay! I'm glad you like the story. And to answer your question, let's say that Percy's hair is a little longer than Logan Lerman's hair but shorter than Harry Potter's hair in the fourth movie. Somewhere in between that.**

**spreadmywings-touchthesky****: You know my love of Tyson knows no bounds 3**

**Guest **

**Mythomagic-Champion**

**The Innocent Little Human: ****I don't want to spoil anything for you, but Percy and Annabeth will be separated by bars the next time they see each other. I actually already figured out what I'm going to do, and part of your idea does play into the plot, except it's flipped around a bit. The bracelet is really important.**

**Guest**

**unknown lunatic: ****Oh gods your review made me laugh hysterically…but I think that's because I read it at one in the morning…maybe…**

**AnnabethChasePJO****: Yay! I love cookies! :D**

**Guest**

**April****: Oh okay. Soon, very soon…**

**arissaprincess321**

**laura loom**

**Raise the Dead**

**THE BOOKWORM**

**Diamond Dunce**

**Zo Silver: ****Sorry! I've been really busy working and doing other things that aren't worth explaining here.**

**fatbublebunny132****: P!NK IS WONDROUS**

**Chapter Time!**

Chapter 7- Percy

I couldn't believe it. I was still dizzy from the lack of oxygen, but I knew that I wasn't imagining this. Tyson, my baby brother, had just beaten my abusive stepfather over the head with a frying pan.

And now Gabe wasn't moving.

I crawled over to where Gabe was laying on the floor. I brought two fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. I didn't feel anything. "Oh no," I groaned.

My mother sounded frantic. "Tyson, what have you done?"

We both looked at Tyson. His brown eyes looked scared. He looked from me, to my mother, to Gabe's dead body lying on the floor. In that moment, he did something that I think any twelve-year-old boy in his position would have done. The frying pan fell out of his hand, and he started to cry.

I got up so fast then my head started spinning, but I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around my little brother, comforting him.

"I…I'm sorry, brother. Sorry, Mommy." He sobbed into my shoulder. Mom came over and rubbed his back like she always did when he was stressed.

"It's gonna be okay, Tyson. I'll figure something out." My mind was swirling. An idea was starting to form in the middle of it. After a while, I let go of my baby brother and started pacing. Tyson finally stopped crying. I could feel him and Mom watching me. I turned to them grimly, knowing that they would hate what I was going to say. It didn't matter, though. If I was going to protect Tyson, it had to be done.

"Mom, you are going to go and get the Guard. Tell them that I came home, got into a fight with Gabe, and went crazy. They already know how much I hate him. Octavian is going to come looking for me." I turned to Tyson. "You are not going to tell _anyone_ what really happened. If anyone asks you, tell them that I killed Gabe or walk away. Don't defend me. If you act like you're trying to protect me, then Octavian will throw you and Mom in jail for helping a criminal. Do you understand?"

"Percy, you can't do this!" my mother cried. "We could tell them that Gabe attacked you, and you were defending yourself."

"No. Do you think Octavian will believe that? He thinks I'm a worthless street rat, Mom. He's been looking for an excuse to have me hanged for months! I have the best chance if I leave now. You and Tyson need to act like you're ashamed to be related to me. Act like you hate me. Whatever you do, don't defend me. To _anyone_. The only people you can trust now are Nico and Thalia. I'll tell them the truth and send them by to check on you. Please, Mom." I took her hands in mine. "You have to trust me. I need to protect you and Tyson."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "Oh, Percy. My beautiful Percy." She held back a sob as she wrapped me in her arms. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Mom. That's why I have to do this." She released me and I turned to Tyson. He was trying really hard to keep himself from crying again. "Take care of Mom for me, big guy. She needs you."

Tyson sniffled. "I will miss you, big brother."

I smiled sadly. "I'll miss you, too." Then I turned away and opened the door of the small, broken down shack I'd lived in my entire life. I hesitated for a moment. I had a feeling in my stomach that told me I would never see this place again. I looked over my shoulder. Tyson and Mom were hugging each other, watching me. They both looked so fragile, so broken. I had to fight back the sob that was working its way up my throat.

I half smiled. "Don't worry about me. This isn't goodbye." Then I ran away from the two people that I cared most about, hoping that they didn't see the tears running down my face.

*****SCENE CHANGE, STILL PERCY *****

I had stopped crying by the time I reached the warehouse. Thankfully, not too many people had seen me on the walk over. Drew had seen me, and I knew she wanted to come over by me, but I had shot a look at her that said I wasn't in the mood. Drew wasn't stupid. She got the hint.

When I got to the warehouse, Calypso was waiting for me. I froze. _Maybe she didn't see me_, I thought. _If I just back away_ very _slowly_…

I stepped on an abandoned bottle lying in the road. It shattered under the weight of my foot with a loud crack. "Shit," I muttered.

"Percy?" Calypso called. I turned around and she narrowed her eyes, walking towards me. "I thought that was you. Were you trying to run away from me? Where have you been? How come you haven't come to see me?"

I groaned. "Calypso, I am _really_ not in the mood. Can you just go?"

She glared at me. "No, I can_not_ just go! You are going to answer my questions _right now_!"

"Dammit, Calypso!" I screamed angrily. She took a step away from me, shocked. "Yes, I was trying to run away from you. It's none of your damn business where I've been because I'm _not_ your boyfriend. I haven't come to see you because I'm sick of you. How many times do I have to break up with you before you get it? I. Don't. Like. You." I spit the last words in her face. All of the anger I had felt over the last month had been building up, and now it had exploded all over Calypso. At one time, I did really like Calypso. She made me happy. But now she wouldn't leave me alone, and I couldn't handle it anymore. She wanted more from me than I could give her.

Calypso stared at me. I could see tears in her eyes, and I knew that I hurt her. For a second, I considered hugging her to make her feel better, but I knew that would only cause more problems. Instead, I turned away. "Please, go," I whispered.

I heard her sniffle. "If it's another girl, I swear I'll kill her. I will." I didn't turn around, and after a few seconds, I heard her walk away.

I sighed and opened the door to the warehouse. Nico and Thalia were sitting by the door, pretending that they hadn't heard everything. "How much did you hear?" I asked as I sat down next to Thalia.

"All of it," she answered bluntly. I groaned and leaned on her. I missed her shoulder, and my head ended up falling onto her leg. She laughed and repositioned herself so that she was sitting cross-legged, my head in her lap, and she started playing with my hair.

Nico raised an eyebrow at us. "Don't get too comfy over there." We all laughed, but when the joke died we were all quiet. I closed my eyes as Thalia ran her fingers through my hair. Then I told them the whole story.

"Wow," Thalia said. "I didn't think Tyson had it in him."

"It's not a joke, Thals. I gotta hide somewhere no one will find me. If Octavian gets me, I'll be hanged."

"I could tell my brother the truth. You know he's the Lieutenant under Octavian. He'll make sure Tyson gets a fair trial."

"No," I said. "I'm not going to let anyone think Tyson had anything to do with this."

"Okay, okay. But Jason could make sure that _you_ got a fair trial. They can't hang you for defending yourself."

"You're forgetting about the run in with the Princess and her friend," Nico said. "Even if he got off with Gabe's death as self-defense, they would still get him on assaulting the Guard."

I opened my eyes and sat up. "Guys, I'm glad that you wanna help so much, but I don't want you involved. I don't want _anyone_ involved. Please, just check up on Tyson and Mom every now and then. But try not to be seen. The Guard might suspect something."

"Perce, we don't want you to get hurt," Nico said, shaking his head. "You can't hide forever."

I looked at the ground, focusing in on a bug crawling across the floor. "I can try. Maybe when everything dies down a bit I can come back."

Thalia put a hand on my shoulder. "You're our best friend, Percy. And I think you're a complete idiot." She cracked a smile. "But you gotta do what you gotta do." She stood up. "I'll go find some stuff for you to take with you."

Nico and I were left alone, neither one of us looking at each other. Finally, he broke the silence. "How the hell am I supposed to lead a gang on my own?" he asked.

"You'll figure out something, man." No response.

A few minutes later, Thalia came back with a bag full of stuff for me to take. "Food, some water, a few knives, a little money, clothes, and some other stuff. If you get as far as the border, there's a fake passport." She looked at me, and for maybe the second time in my life I saw the fearless Thalia Grace with tears in her eyes. She hugged me tightly. "Be careful, Percy."

"I always am, aren't I?" She laughed and punched me on the arm, wiping away a tear with her other hand.

Thalia went up to the second floor, leaving me with Nico. He didn't say anything, so I started to say my goodbye. "Well, I guess this is-"

"Don't say it," he interrupted.

I stopped. "What?"

"Don't say goodbye to me. If you say goodbye, then you don't have to come back." He looked at me, a mixture of anger and grief on his face. "And you had better plan on coming back."

"You know I wouldn't abandon you, Nico. I'll come back." I stepped towards him, and he held out his hand for me to shake. I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He smirked and held out his arms. "Better?"

I laughed, hugging him briefly. Sure, it wasn't very manly, but I seriously didn't know if I'd ever see him again. A handshake would have been too formal after what we'd been through together.

"I'll see you around, Jackson."

"See ya, di Angelo." I shouldered my backpack and opened the door of the warehouse. I looked back one more time, taking in every detail. As I closed the door behind me, I made a silent promise to myself and to the Demigods that I would come back no matter what happened.

*****PART 3 BECAUSE I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE, STILL PERCY YAY*****

I walked through the streets, peeking around the corners to make sure that the Guard wasn't there. On my way out of the warehouse I ran into Travis, and he told me that my mom had reported me to the Guard. Octavian was tearing the streets apart looking for me. He even had reinforcements brought in to help with the search. I had to get out of Hades while I still could.

Everything was deserted. News had spread like wildfire, and the people of Hades knew better than to be outside when the Guard was looking for someone. It was too quiet, and I was a little freaked out. I almost wished Calypso were there to at least keep me entertained. Almost.

Unfortunately, being alone gave me a lot of time to think about things I didn't really want to think about. My mind wandered from topic to topic, sometimes focusing on the gang, sometimes on Mom and Tyson. Every few seconds, though, I would end up thinking about that girl with the gray eyes. Annabeth.

I knew that I had really screwed up there. I shouldn't have let my temper get ahold of me, but there was something about her that made me get defensive. When she looked at me, I felt like she could see inside of me. It was like she saw past the dirt and the anger and exposed something else, something that I only let the people who were closest to me see. It freaked me out. That's why I was such an ass to her.

I reached a hand into my pocket and pulled out her silver bracelet. I felt bad about taking it, and I wished I could give it back. Somehow it seemed unlikely that we would ever meet again, but a small part of me kinda wished that we would.

It was while I was thinking about the gray-eyed girl that they snuck up on me. I had unknowingly walked into a dead end. I turned around, trying to regain my bearings, and I froze. Standing in front of me, a brick in his hand, was Octavian. He and some other Guard guys I didn't recognize blocked the only escape. I was trapped.

Octavian smirked as he walked towards me slowly. I backed up until I was up against the brick wall behind me. "Looks like the street rat ran out of holes to hide in," Octavian snarled. He raised the brick above his head, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt the impact against the side of my head and I fell to the ground. Octavian kicked me in the stomach with his boot. I clutched my stomach, wheezing painfully. It was hard to breathe.

Octavian crouched down so that I could see his face, smiling insanely. "Don't worry, Jackson. I'm not going to kill you yet." He wrapped a hand around my throat. "You're going to die with a rope around your neck," he spat at me. Then he laughed. "But first, there's something I've been wanting to do for a long time." He raised the brick again, and it slammed into my head. Then everything went black.

*****I'M ON A ROLL SO I'LL KEEP GOING*****

I woke up with my hands chained above my head. I was sitting on a hard floor covered in hay. I felt dizzy and my vision was blurry, but I thought I could make out bars in front of me. I groaned loudly as everything that had happened came back to me.

I saw something move outside my cell. "Good, you're awake," a voice said. I heard the clinking of keys as my door was unlocked and someone stepped inside. A blonde boy who was about my age, maybe a little younger, crouched down in front of me. He wore the Guard uniform, a Lieutenant badge pinned to the front of his jacket. "You've been causing quite a bit of trouble lately."

His face looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. "Do I know you?"

He frowned. "You probably recognize me from the streets. I used to live in Hades." He paused. "And you know my sister."

My head seemed to clear a bit as I realized who he was. "Jason. You're Thalia's brother."

He nodded. "And you're the reason that she's turned into a criminal."

I shook my head, but I didn't look at him. "Thalia isn't a criminal. And she's not part of the gang. She just hangs out with us."

He glared at me. "She's in danger every time she's around you and her stupid boyfriend. You don't understand what it's like to constantly worry about someone. I barely get to see her, and every time I do, I'm afraid it'll be the last time. I know that she thinks she can take care of herself, but I can't help but try to protect her."

"I would never put Thalia in danger. Neither would Nico. And surprisingly enough, I do know what it's like to worry about someone constantly."

He laughed like he didn't believe me. "Perseus Jackson, the notorious gang leader, actually _cares_ about someone? I don't believe it."

I cringed at the use of my full name. "You don't need to. I've got nothing to prove to you."

He shook his head. "You don't get it, do you? I worry about her every single day. Every time I here that a girl was killed or arrested, I'm afraid that it's her. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

I raised my head, looking him straight in the eye. My face was expressionless, but I thought of Tyson. I would do anything to keep him away from the gang. I wanted him to stay safe. If anything happened to him, I would be devastated. That's why I answered, "Yes. I do."

For just a moment, Jason looked like he believed me, but a few seconds later he was glaring at me and walking out of my cell. He locked the door behind him, but instead of leaving he stood there, watching me. Finally he asked, "Why do you do it? If you really care about someone, why be a criminal?"

His question surprised me. No one had ever asked me anything like that before. "I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I guess because if I'm a criminal, he won't have to be."

Jason's brow furrowed. "He?"

Without thinking, I said, "My brother. He's only twelve. I don't want him to have anything to do with the Demigods. My mom doesn't make much money, so I give them as much as I can."

"You do know that your mother is the one who reported you, right?"

I nodded, but I didn't say anything. Instead, Jason said, "I get that you don't want that life for your brother. But if he loves you as much as you seem to love him, he's gonna have a really bad day tomorrow."

My head shot up. "Why?"

"Because tomorrow he has to watch his big brother die." On that happy note, Jason walked away. I didn't call after him. I sat there in my cell as tears started to roll down my cheeks. I couldn't even wipe them away because my hands were chained up above me.

When all of this started, I hadn't thought about what would happen if I was caught. I didn't think about the fact that my execution would be public, that Tyson and my mom might be there. I wouldn't want them there, but I know that they would come. My mom would want my body so that she could bury it herself.

I don't know how long I sat there crying like a baby, but I know it was a while. I didn't mind being alone, but my arms hurt and I was starving. I must have drifted off at one point because when I heard the door to my cell being opened I jumped. Standing in front of me, an angry expression filling her face, was a very familiar gray-eyed girl.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me," Annabeth said.

**All right that is it. I hope you liked it. Sorry I took so long to update, I've been quite busy. I won't be able to update until next week, so hopefully this will keep you guys happy for a while. Reviews are appreciated but not required, as always. Thanks for reading! ~Belle**


	8. Percy then Annabeth and major PERCABETH!

**Hey guys! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait. This is what happens when you take 2 honors as well as 2 AP classes, plus swimming, stage crew, Girl Scouts, and youth ministry. But I am here now, so I can update for all of you beautiful peoples.**

**Over 100 reviews! AHHHH! :D**

**Belle's Book: **_**The Demon King**_** by Cinda Williams Chima. The first book in the Seven Realms series. It's about an ex-streetlord named Han who used to be the leader of a gang called the Raggers. He crosses paths with Princess Raisa, the heir to the throne of Fellsmarch. The book is about what led them to that point and what happens after they meet. As usual, I didn't explain it very well, but I swear it's awesome. Actually, it was part of my inspiration when I wrote this story. It has gangs, princesses, warriors, romance, adventure, and magic. Go read it. Right now. Seriously. Do it.**

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**Child of Wisdom **

**Chapter Time!**

Chapter 8- Percy and Annabeth

Percy

Was I surprised? Yes. Was she happy to see me? It didn't look like it. Was I happy to see her? Maybe a little bit.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"You have something that belongs to me," she repeated.

I thought of the bracelet still sitting in my pocket. Luckily, Octavian hadn't taken it when he threw me in here. He hadn't even searched me. I could still feel the knives in my boots and the one attached to my waist. He must have been in a hurry to throw me in here if he didn't bother to take away my weapons.

"The bracelet is back at my hideout," I lied. Smirking, I said sarcastically, "I'd run and get it for you, but I'm a little tied up at the moment."

She glared at me. "I want my bracelet back."

"Well what the hell do you want me to do about it? It's not like I can magically make it appear in front of you."

"Well where is your hideout? I'll send someone to go get it for me."

I laughed at her. "You think I'm just going to tell you where to find it? The rest of my gang is there. I'm not just gonna lead you right to them."

I could tell from her face that she was running out of options. "If you don't tell me where it is, I'll tell the King what really happened that day."

I shrugged my shoulders as best as I could with my arms chained above my head. "Go ahead. See if I care."

Annabeth stared at me. "They'll kill you."

"Haven't you heard? I'm going to die anyway."

She frowned. "I know, but why?"

"Assaulting the King's Guard. And murdering my stepfather."

She took a step away from me, as if I might suddenly jump at her. "You're a murderer?"

"Yep," I replied, popping the "p."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it? He was an ass. He deserved to die."

She didn't say anything, but she stared at me with her deep, gray eyes. It made me want to turn away or close my eyes, but I stared back at her. My face was expressionless, but I felt like she was reading me, just like she had the first time we met. Was it really only three days ago? It seemed like years had gone by since that moment in the carriage.

"How did they catch you?" she asked after a few minutes.

"I was running away. I stopped paying attention and I ran into a dead end. The Guard surrounded me, knocked me out, and brought me here." I looked closely at my cell. It was almost as big as the shack I'd lived in with Mom and Tyson for the last 16 years. "Where is 'here,' anyway?"

Annabeth glanced away from me for the first time since she came in. "This is the dungeon in the bottom of my home. The Guard brought you here because the dungeons at the palace are full. I live here."

"Nice place," I said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "It's nicer than you deserve. You're a thief."

"Don't forget murderer," I reminded her.

She glanced at me suspiciously. "Right," she said slowly. Then she did something I wasn't expecting. She pulled out a large key and came towards me. She placed the key in a lock above my right arm, and suddenly my arm was lying in my lap. A few seconds later, both of my arms were unchained and relief flooded into them.

"Thanks," I said as I rubbed by scraped up wrists, trying to get the blood flowing. She sat down right next to me and sighed. I studied her. If it was possible, she seemed even prettier now than she had three days ago. But there was also something sad about her. She looked weary and unhappy. Was it really all because I had taken her bracelet? Or was there something else bothering her? For some reason, I really wanted to know what was wrong, but I didn't know how to ask.

Before I could figure out what to say, she asked me, "What do I have to do to get my bracelet back?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was seriously confused.

"Look. I want my bracelet back. I_ need_ it back. And I will do _anything_. So what will it take?"

I stared at her, wondering why such a small piece of jewelry meant so much to her. "The only way you'll see it again is if I take you to it."

She frowned. "So I'll have to free you." We sat in silence, and I wondered what she was thinking about. I didn't have to wait long to find out. "All right, here's the plan: I'm going to come back later tonight. The guardsman always falls asleep about two hours before midnight. I'll bring you some things to take with us, and then you'll lead me to wherever my bracelet is. After I get it back, you will bring me to the Gates of Olympus. Then you can leave before anyone knows you're gone."

I was shocked. I couldn't believe that she would actually consider letting me go after I'd held a knife to her throat. "Is this a trap?" I asked cautiously.

She shook her head. "Will you take me to my bracelet?"

I studied her for a moment. Then, slowly, I nodded my head. "But I'll have to blindfold you for the first part of the trip. I can't let you see how to get to the hideout. You might lead the Guard to the rest of my gang."

Annabeth glared. "I'm setting you free and you still don't trust me?" I didn't respond. She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if you leave me to die somewhere, I can promise you that the King's Guard will not rest until they find you and kill you." She stood up to leave. "Try and get some rest. I'll be back in a few hours."

As she opened the door to my cell, I blurted out, "Wait."

She turned. "What?"

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

"Because I want my bracelet back." Her eyes locked on mine. "And I know that you aren't a murderer."

I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. "W-what are you talking about?" I stammered. "Of course I am. They want to kill me tomorrow because of it."

"I don't think you killed your stepfather. And I don't think you deserve to die."

"You're wrong. I killed him because I hate him. I'm a murderer."

Annabeth shook her head, her gray eyes boring into my sea green ones. "You're a lot of things, Percy Jackson. But you aren't a murderer." Before I could say another word, she stepped out of my cell and locked the door behind her, leaving me to wonder how one girl I barely knew could already know so much about me.

Annabeth

Did I realize that this was dangerous? Yes. Was I scared? Maybe a little more than I was willing to admit. Was I going to do it anyway? Definitely.

I'd had a lot of time to think since my party had ended the night before. After everyone else had cleared out, Rachel and I had decided to sneak away so that we could talk about Percy. Not only was he connected to my future husband, but he was also involved with Jason's sister and Katie's sort-of boyfriend. It was a little intense and definitely strange.

"He's obviously got a lot of friends," Rachel said as we walked down a servant corridor, trying to avoid other nobles. "And he probably has a lot of resources at his disposal. It can't be easy to hide from the King's Guard when you're the most wanted criminal in Hades."

"It's just so frustrating. Everywhere I go, all I hear about is Percy Jackson. Can you remind me why we're protecting him?"

"Because if we say that we were attacked, our parents will never let us leave Olympus again. And you would have to admit that you lied to your dad about your mom's bracelet."

I sighed. Rachel was right. I felt guilty enough about lying to my dad in the first place. Owning up to that lie would hurt my pride too much.

I was about to tell Rachel this when I heard whispers coming from down the hall. It sounded like they were approaching us. I looked frantically at Rachel, and she grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of sight. As the voices came closer, I was able to make out what they were saying.

"I don't think we should be doing this," whispered the first voice. That was definitely a girl. Probably a maid or someone hired to work the party.

"Nobody has to find out," a second voice responded. That voice was deeper and much more masculine. It also sounded very familiar.

I heard girlish giggling. "Aren't you supposed to be engaged?" asked the first voice.

"What Annabeth doesn't know won't hurt her," whispered the guy. I turned to Rachel, and in the semi-darkness I could make out the look of disgust on her face.

"Please tell me that isn't-" she was cut off by the sound of more giggling. "Oh no, that is so gross."

I peeked out of my hiding place so that I could get a better look at the couple. Sure enough, there was Luke, his scar standing out from his skin in the pale moonlight shining through an opened window. The maid, who I knew worked in the palace, was running her hands through his sandy hair. Luke had his hands wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her almost on top of him. I had to fight to keep down my dinner.

Unfortunately, that lovely display lasted about fifteen more minutes before they finally separated and went to bed. Rachel and I were forced to stay where we were because if we had moved, they definitely would have seen us.

Once we got to Rachel's rooms, she exclaimed, "That was the most _disgusting_ thing I have ever seen in my _entire_ life! How could he do that to you? That ass! And that maid is _so_ fired! She won't be able to get a job anywhere once I'm through with her!"

I sat down on her bed calmly. "No, Rachel. It's okay. I can handle it."

"Are you kidding? That guy should be arrested for hurting you! Doesn't he know a great girl when he sees one?"

I smiled. "Thanks, but it's okay. Seriously. I don't even want to marry the guy. I could care less what he does." I thought for a moment. "Do you think that Percy still has my bracelet, or do you think he sold it already?"

Rachel stared at me. "You just found out that your future husband is cheating on you, and all you can think about is Percy Jackson?"

I shrugged. "Like I said, he can do his thing, and I'll do mine. Maybe I'll be able to tell my dad I don't want to marry him. But he'll be upset."

Rachel stared at me. "I can't tell what you're thinking about. Usually I know exactly what's going on inside your head, but lately you've been so unpredictable. What's wrong?"

I sighed and lay back on her bed. "I don't know. I want to say that it's just the idea of an arranged marriage, but it's more than that. I want to go places. I want to do more than sit at home and be the 'good little wife.' And I feel like no one understands that."

Rachel sat down next to me. "How long have you felt like this?"

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "I think I've always felt it. But something is different now. I _feel _different. I want to be free of this place. Like my mom."

Neither one of us said anything for a while. Rachel moved around the room a few times, getting ready to go to bed (I was staying overnight since it was so late). Finally she broke the silence. "Why are you so caught up on Percy Jackson, Annabeth?"

"Because he took my mom's bracelet," I said quickly.

She shook her head. "I know you. I'm your best friend. This is about more than just a bracelet."

"I…I don't know. There's just something about him. The way he looks at you, studies you. And his eyes are so full of pain and mystery. I feel like I'm being drawn to him. Like there's an invisible line connecting us together. Does that make any sense?"

Rachel shook her head. "Absolutely not. But if it's that important to you, we'll find a way to get your bracelet back."

I smiled. "You're the best, Rachel."

"I know," she answered simply. We talked for a while longer and eventually went to bed.

When we woke up, Malcolm was there to talk to me.

"The Guard brought him in really early this morning," he whispered in the hallway outside Rachel's bedroom. "I thought you might want to talk to him about your bracelet."

"Thank you, Malcolm. I'll say goodbye to Rachel and then I'll go right over there."

He nodded and left. I went back in to tell Rachel the news.

"They found him," I said.

"Who?"

"You know. Percy. The Guard brought him to my house because the dungeons here are overfilled. Apparently he's awaiting execution."

Rachel frowned. "Isn't there supposed to be a trial before each execution takes place?"

"I think so. Maybe it's a mistake?"

Rachel was not pleased. "I'll have to talk to my father about this. He'll want to know if people are being executed by the Guard without a fair trial."

"I'm not sure, Rach. But I'm going over there right now."

"Why?"

"Because," I said. "Maybe he hasn't sold my bracelet yet. I might still be able to get it back."

She looked uneasy. "I don't think that's a good idea, Annabeth. He's a criminal. You can't trust him. What if he tricks you?"

"It doesn't matter, Rachel. Haven't you been listening? I _need_ that bracelet."

She turned away, but I still heard her mutter, "Or you just need him."

I chose not to answer that.

By the time I got back to my home it was a little after noon. My dad wasn't there. Heidi told me that he had gone to the palace earlier that morning. Apparently there had been some sort of rebellion at the southern border. "You didn't see him there?" Heidi asked.

"No. He must've already been in council by the time I got up."

Heidi nodded. "So did you have a nice time at your party?"

I nodded and faked a smile. "Yeah, it was great. You're a great party planner."

Her face lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad! And Luke? What did you think of him?"

My stomach dropped. I knew that Heidi expected me to tell her that he was great, that I would absolutely love to marry him. For a second, I thought about telling her the truth. Surely she would understand? But I couldn't. Not today at least. She looked so happy, standing there and beaming at me. I didn't need to ruin her day.

"He seemed…nice."

She smiled and gave me a hug. "I know you're scared about marriage, Annabeth, but I really think you'll come to enjoy it." She kissed the top of my head. "And you'd make a beautiful wife."

I felt a pang in my stomach. Coming from Heidi, that actually meant a lot. Sure, I didn't always get along with her. We were complete opposites. But Heidi is one of the prettiest people I know, so hearing her call me beautiful made me feel kinda…I don't know…beautiful.

"Thanks, Heidi," I said, trying to hide my surprise.

She smiled again and turned away, leaving me alone in the hall. I just sort of stared after her, wondering if I might have actually just had a good moment with my stepmother. Then I snapped myself out of it. _Focus, Annabeth_, I thought. _You've got a bracelet to get back_.

*****SCENE CHANGE WOOT*****

After I had talked to Percy in the cell, I went back to my room to prepare. I had meant what I said- I didn't think he was a murderer. He was definitely covering up for someone. I just didn't know who. If it wasn't for the fact that the guy stole from me and held a knife to my neck, I might actually feel bad for him.

I gathered some things in two bags- one for Percy and one for me. In Percy's bag I put some water, some food, and a few handfuls of silver coins (I'd received quite a bit of money for my birthday), as well as some men's clothes that I stole from the laundry rooms. In my bag I put a pair of pants so that I wouldn't have to walk around Hades in a dress, some more food and water, and a knife. The last thing was for protection, just in case something bad happened. I really hoped I wouldn't have to use it.

Two hours before midnight, I went back down to the dungeons. As usual, the guard had fallen asleep. I slipped past quietly and went to Percy's cell. He actually looked a little surprised to see me.

After I opened the cell door, I handed him the pack. "Here," I said. "After you get me my bracelet, you can use that for your journey."

He stared at it. Then he stared at me. "You're actually doing this? You're actually helping me for a stupid bracelet?"

I glared at him. "It's not stupid to me. And do you want to get out of here or not?" He nodded. I led the way out of the dungeons and out of the mansion. The night air was cool. I shivered.

Percy looked at me. "You probably shoulda brought a jacket. It's cold out."

"I didn't think about it," I said truthfully. "But it doesn't matter. I'll be fine. Let's go." I started walking down the path that led to the gates.

I was acutely aware of Percy walking right next to me. The pack was slung over his shoulder, and he kept his eyes trained straight ahead. We walked in silence.

As we approached the gates, I veered slightly to the left. Percy frowned at me as we went off the path. "Where are we going?"

"I can't just take you right through the gate. The Guard would know that you escaped within seconds. Come on, there's a hole in the wall over here." I led him over to a part of the high stone wall that surrounded Olympus. I handed him my pack and started pulling the loose stones away, forming a hole in the otherwise sturdy wall. I gestured for him to go through, and he did. I followed and replaced the stones in the wall. It looked like it had never been touched.

"How did you know that was there?" Percy asked.

"My brother made it. He doesn't know that I know about it, though. I think he had a girlfriend who lived in Hades. He used to sneak out to visit her."

"He doesn't visit her anymore?"

"No. He's married now."

"Oh." We walked in silence. I wasn't sure where I was going, so Percy had to lead the way. After a while Percy said, "My friends will probably be at the warehouse, just so you know."

"Are they criminals, too?"

"Most of them are." I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't say anything. Turns out I didn't need to. Percy looked at me. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. But I might not answer it."

He shrugged. "I was just wondering why this bracelet is so important to you. I mean, I've stolen a lot better ones, and nobody came knocking down my door to get those back."

"It isn't about how expensive it is. It was my mother's. It's the only thing I have to remember her by."

"Is she dead?"

Tears welled in my eyes. "Yes. I barely even remember her."

He was quiet for a while. Then he said softly, "I'm sorry. My dad died when I was four. My brother was only a few months old."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."

We didn't say much after that.

After about an hour of walking, I was starting to get a little tired. I stumbled twice on the uneven ground. Percy stopped. "Do you wanna take a break?"

"No." I didn't want him to think I was helpless. "I can keep going."

He frowned and opened his pack. "At least eat something. I don't want you to faint." He handed me a piece of bread from his pack. I took it, even though I had my own food.

"Thanks," I said, munching slowly.

"Can you keep walking while you eat?" He looked around uneasily. "We're almost there, and it's not exactly safe out here." I nodded and we kept walking while I ate.

A few minutes later, I heard a scream. I jumped, frightened. I heard some men laughing and shouting. There were some noises that sounded like a woman trying to fight off attackers. Her screams drowned out the sound of the men's laughter.

"What is that?" I asked frightened.

Percy grabbed my hand. "It's okay. They won't hurt you."

"But what's going on? What are they doing to her?"

He looked at me, and there was pain in his eyes. "Trust me, Annabeth. You don't want to know." He was scaring me, but I knew that he was probably right. I really didn't want to know.

The screaming stopped, but the men were still laughing. And it sounded like they were coming towards us.

We still hadn't moved. "Shouldn't we run?" I whispered.

"No. That'll just draw attention to us. But walk quickly." He kept holding my hand. "We're really close now. Just a few more minutes." But we didn't make it to the warehouse.

Just then, a voice behind us said, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Percy turned around slowly. When he saw the person who had spoken his face hardened. "What do you want, Ares?"

The guy who had spoken, Ares, smirked. "Why, hello there, Jackson! I didn't realize I was in the presence of such a famous man." He bowed and his cronies laughed. Then he turned his eyes on me. They lingered a little too long on…certain areas. "And who is this pretty little lady?"

Percy's hand tightened around mine. "She's no one. We were just leaving."

"Aw, come on, Jackson. You don't wanna share?"

"Stay out of my way, Ares."

He took a step towards us. "Or what? You'll have your precious little gang come after us?" He looked me over again. "From the looks of it, she's well worth the trouble."

Percy stepped in front of me protectively, letting go of my hand. A knife had appeared in his hand, and it was now at Ares's throat. "Touch her and I'll kill you."

Ares looked a little scared for a second, but then he looked at something behind me and laughed. I turned to see what was so funny, but before I could an arm had snaked itself around my waist. I screamed.

Percy wheeled around and his eyes went wide. "Let her go," he said angrily to the man holding me.

"I dunno, Jackson." He ran his hand up along my side. "She sure is pretty."

"We'll give her back," Ares said smiling. "We just wanna have a little fun first."

By this point I was ready to start crying. Even when Percy held a knife to my throat I hadn't felt this scared. I somehow knew that he wouldn't really hurt me. But these men…they were sick. I didn't know what they would do to me. And I didn't want to find out.

Percy's eyes locked on mine. He looked angry and maybe a little scared. I could tell that he was trying to figure something out, but he was outnumbered six to one. And the guy behind me was still running his hand along my side, feeling me up. I was trying not to throw up my bread.

"Ares, please. Let her go. You can find some other girl to torture."

"See, Jackson, I _would_ do that, but I'm pretty sure messing with her is what would piss you off the most. And I_ really_ like pissing you off."

"Well I hope you like having the most powerful gang in Hades pissed off, too," said a voice behind me. A boy stepped out of the shadows, a knife in each of his hands. I recognized him as Nico, the boy who had been with Percy that day we first met. He was followed by two more boys who looked like they were brothers. More guys appeared, surrounding Ares and his friends. All of them held knives and angry expressions. Ares looked like he was about to pee in his pants.

"My advice to you, Ares," said Nico coldly, "is run. And don't stop running. You've got the Demigods on your ass now. And you know that we like revenge."

Ares didn't need to be told twice. He ran out of there faster than I thought possible. The guy holding me dropped me and ran after his friends. I stumbled, but Percy rushed forward and caught me.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Concern filled his voice, and he cupped my cheek in his hand. He sounded genuinely worried about me, which was a little surprising. Nice, but surprising.

I nodded. "I-I think I'm okay."

Percy wrapped his arms around me in a hug, which I think was the most surprising thing about that night. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I never should have let go of your hand."

"It's-it's okay."

He stood back, but his arms were still wrapped around me. He stared into my eyes. "No. It isn't." All I could think about was how close his lips were to mine.

Someone cleared their throat behind us. I turned and there was a girl standing there. She had short black hair and startling blue eyes. She calmly asked, "Back so soon, Perce?"

"Uh…yeah. I kinda got caught by the Guard."

"So we heard." She looked at me. "I see you made a new friend."

Percy seemed to suddenly realize that his arms were still around me because he let go. "Oh, yeah, I guess. This is Annabeth."

Nico shook his head. "Dude, seriously? Kidnapping is not cool."

"I didn't kidnap her!" he said defensively. "She wants her bracelet back. It's at the warehouse."

The girl with the blue eyes raised an eyebrow. "Well I don't know if we're talking about the same bracelet, but I'm pretty sure-"

"Thalia," Percy cut her off. "The bracelet is at the warehouse. Okay?"

Thalia put up her hands defensively. "Whatever you say." She walked over to Nico and slipped her hand into his. "But you interrupted our date. I'll get you back for that." She tugged on Nico's hand and they walked off together.

Percy rolled his eyes and turned to the rest of the guys. Some had trickled off after Ares disappeared, but most of them were still there. "Hey guys," Percy said. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem, Percy," said a curly-haired boy. "We got your back."

"Thanks, Grover. Means a lot. You guys are great." We all started walking towards where I assumed the warehouse was. Somehow Percy's hand had ended up back in mine. I can't say I minded. As we walked some of the guys introduced themselves. I met a Beckendorf, Grover, a short kid named Leo, and a really attractive guy named Will who had a crossbow slung over his shoulder. I introduced myself as Annabeth, but I didn't say anything about who I was. They probably already knew, anyway.

The warehouse was really big. It looked even bigger on the inside. Percy opened the door with one hand, his other one still holding mine. I started blushing because I could tell that some of the other guys had noticed, too. They didn't say anything, but I could almost feel their smirks and choked down laughter. If Percy noticed, he didn't seem to care. He never let go of my hand.

After I had gotten over my shock at the size of the warehouse, I said, "You didn't tell me you lived in your own mansion."

Percy chuckled. "I wouldn't call it a mansion. But it's home." His face fell. "At least…it was."

I can honestly say that I have never seen an expression filled with so much sadness. After everything that had happened, I should hate Percy. But he was still holding my hand. And I would have done anything to make that sadness on his face go away.

"I'm sorry you have to leave," I said.

He smiled sadly. "It's not your fault, Annabeth. But thanks. I didn't think…" He trailed off.

"Didn't think what?" I asked.

In the dim light of the warehouse, I could see a slight blush spread across his tanned face. "I…I didn't think you cared. At all. I mean, shouldn't you hate me? I stole your bracelet. First time we met I threatened to kill you." He looked down at our hands, still intertwined. "But here we are."

My chest tightened. I suddenly realized that we were alone. The other boys had drifted off to different parts of the warehouse. It was just me and Percy. Together. Alone.

My breath came out short. "Here we are."

He was standing in front of me, both of his hands holding mine. His eyes were so beautiful- pools of sea green staring into mine. And his lips…so close…

The moment ended. Percy turned his head away sheepishly, as if he was ashamed. The boy I'd met in the carriage that first day was gone. At least, in my vision it was. All I saw now was a boy who didn't want to run away, a boy who didn't want to leave his home. And, unfortunately, a boy who did not want to kiss me.

Percy smirked. "I guess I should go get that bracelet now."

I forced a smile and dropped his hands. "Probably."

He walked farther into the warehouse, leaving me by myself. I took my pack off of my shoulder and pulled out the pair of pants I had stored in there. I never had a chance to put them on, so I took advantage of my moment of solitude and changed into them. I left the top layer of my dress on, but I felt better having the pants on, too.

Percy came back. I could see my bracelet in his hand. He looked me over, "You changed."

I nodded. "Yep."

He smiled. "I like it. You look less…princessy."

I raised an eyebrow. "Princessy?"

"Yeah. It's kinda intimidating, actually."

I laughed. "_You_ were intimidated by me?"

He shrugged. "Your eyes…they're like storm clouds. I feel exposed when you stare at me. Like you're doing right now."

I looked away from him. "Sorry."

"Don't be. It's just…different. I've never met a girl like you before."

I smiled slightly. "I can't say I've met a guy quite like you, either."

Neither one of us said anything else. Percy handed me my bracelet. I tried to lock the clasp, but I struggled with it. Percy took the bracelet from my hands and fastened the clasp for me. My skin tingled where he touched it.

He looked at me. He was close again. "Annabeth?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

I nodded. My breath was coming short again, so I chose not to speak.

"Would you be offended if I kissed you right now?"

My heart pounded against my chest. I could barely breathe. "You're…you're asking my permission?"

"Well, I've wanted to kiss you all night, but I was afraid that you might get angry." He looked down. "You know. Street rat and all."

I shook my head. "You aren't a street rat, Percy. If you were you wouldn't care about your family, or your friends."

He looked up. "I care about you."

I held back a gasp. "Do you mean that?"

He nodded. "I didn't think I did…but I do. You see something in me. Something no one else sees. And it makes me feel…"

"Like you're worth something?"

"Yeah." Then he kissed me. It was long and sweet. His lips tasted salty and moved perfectly with mine. He wrapped one arm around my waist and gently placed his hand on the back of my head, pulling me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning into his embrace. After a while I was forced to come up for air.

He was breathing heavily. "Annabeth?"

I tried to catch my breath. "Yeah?"

"You make me feel like I'm worth something."

I didn't respond, but I didn't need to. His lips were back on mine.

That was the moment I fell in love with Percy Jackson.

**Tada! There you are. I hope you enjoy your 5,000+ word chapter. Again, I apologize for the long wait. It's probably going to be awhile before I update again, so brace yourselves (think around Thanksgiving). Thank you for being so patient!**

**IMPORTANT! There are 2 possible ways I will end this story (it won't be for quite some time, don't worry, but I have to prepare). ****WAY ONE****: Happy but predictable and kinda generic. ****WAY TWO****: Depressing as hell but unpredictable and much more me (as in my kind of writing style). You guys can pick, so leave your choice as a review or something and the majority will win. **

**Also, if you haven't read **_**Mark of Athena**_** yet go read it RIGHT NOW. It's beautiful and wonderful and I ship Percabeth everywhere. But be prepared (page 568 is a life ruiner). **

**That is all. I love you guys. 3 ~Ella**


	9. Just Annabeth

**Hi guys! So a bunch of you guys want Way 1 but I hate Way 1 so that's not gonna happen. But I respect your opinions so I've decided to do what quite a few of you suggested and compromise: the ending will not be as horrible and depressing as I originally intended but it will not be the forced happiness of Way 1. There will still be lots of sadness though so you'll probably all hate me anyway. **_**C'est la vie**_

**But the ending is a long way off! There are more chapters to come…**

**Belle's Book: **_**The Fault in Our Stars**_** by John Green. Have you read it? No? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! Don't just sit there! Go get it! Hazel Grace has cancer. She's awesome and she's dying. Augustus Waters is a new person she meets. He's hot and conceited and is my ideal person. I love him and I love them. So will you. Please go read it. It will make your life a better place (after the tears dry off of your face).**

**Another thing! Since this story has gained a certain amount of popularity (over 11,000 views!) and has had quite a few reviews, it's rather hard for me to keep track of everyone. Therefore, I'm only giving shout outs if I can't answer a question through inbox. I still read everyone's review, and I love them all. But you guys probably just want to get to the story, and it saves me a lot of typing :)**

**Out Shouts:**

**EpicDinosaur123****: I could have sent this to your inbox actually but I just wanted to show everyone that people with really awesome names are sending me reviews. And I would quite enjoy a cookie.**

**Do I need a warning for swearing? Because if I do there is swearing. Specifically near the end of the chapter. Okay.**

**Story Time!**

Chapter 9- Annabeth

There was a loud bang. I jumped awake which made Percy stir as well. He groggily opened his eyes. "Wha…what's going on?"

I heard a chuckle near my head. I looked up to see Thalia standing over me, smirking. "Well, don't you two look…comfy."

It was then that I noticed where I was; I was laying half on top of Percy, my head resting on his chest. One of his arms was wrapped around my waist, the other resting near my head. And we were both lying under a blanket. In a bed. If my father had seen me then he would have had Percy hanged and me sent to an insane asylum. Had I done something stupid? I couldn't recall anything. But, then again, I couldn't remember falling asleep in a bed with Percy Jackson, either.

My face flushed with embarrassment as I jumped out of the bed as quickly as I could. Thank the gods I still had all of my clothes on. I could feel Percy's eyes on me, but I refused to look at him. I couldn't deal with my feelings while other people were around.

Instead, I focused on Thalia. "Is there something wrong? I heard a bang."

Thalia shook her head. "No, that was just Leo being an idiot. He likes to pretend he can carry things that are twice his size and ends up dropping them. But I actually did want to talk to you about something." She looked at Percy who was still in the bed. "You don't mind if I borrow her, do you?"

I didn't really appreciate the fact that she had to ask Percy if she could "borrow" me, but I managed to look at Percy to see his reaction. Our eyes locked and I refused to be the first to look away. Even still, my peripheral vision told me that Percy wasn't wearing a shirt. I wondered when that had happened. Finally, without taking his eyes off me he said to Thalia, "You guys can talk. I've got some stuff to check up on anyway." He got out of bed and grabbed his shirt from where it had fallen on the floor. I tried hard not to focus on his muscles rippling as he pulled the shirt back over his head and over his chiseled abs. To me he said, "We can make arrangements for your passage back to Olympus later." Then he walked away. I have to admit, I was a little hurt by the resentful tone in his voice. But I'd jumped away from him like he had the Sickness, so what did I really expect?

Thalia turned to me. "Wonderful. We need to have a talk." She grabbed my hand and led me to the second floor of the warehouse. Travis, Connor, Beckendorf, Grover, and Leo were all gathered there. "Clear out," Thalia commanded. The boys didn't need to be told twice.

After the boys left, Thalia sat down on the vacated couch and patted the seat next to her. I sat and she leaned back. "So," she started, "I talked to my brother for the first time in a while about an hour ago."

I figured she was talking about Jason, Piper's boyfriend. "Really? His girlfriend is one of my friends. She said that he didn't get to see you very often since he joined the Guard."

She smirked. "Yeah. We don't exactly run with the same crowds. Girlfriend, huh? I figured he had someone. She rich?"

"She's wealthy enough. A Lady. But her parents want her to marry someone else. Lord Gleeson Hedge."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "I've heard that name before. Doesn't he look like a goat?" I nodded. "Poor kid. Does Jason know her parents don't want them together?" I nodded again. "Well, if he's anything like me that sure as hell isn't gonna stop him. If he really wants this girl he'll get her. Us Grace kids don't like taking 'no' for an answer." She pulled out a knife and started sharpening it. I don't think she meant to set me on edge, but the presence of the weapon immediately intimidated me. "But Jason isn't the person I want to talk about. I want to talk about you."

I frowned. "What about me?"

"Jason said you visited Percy when he was in his cell. A few hours later, you're missing and Percy's cell is empty. It doesn't look good, Annabeth. Especially not for Percy. He's already in enough trouble as it is."

"I'm not trying to cause trouble for anybody. I just wanted my bracelet back. I'm ready to go anytime."

Thalia raised her eyebrow again. "Really? So if I offered to escort you back to the Gates right now you'd be fine with it?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to leave without seeing Percy again. "Well, I mean, I guess but shouldn't we tell-"

Thalia put her hand up. "Stop right there. You were gonna say we tell Percy first, right? So that you could say goodbye to him?" I didn't respond. "Look, Annabeth, I see the way you look at him. It's the same way I look at Nico. And it's the same way Percy looks at you. I've known that boy for years, but I honestly don't think I've ever seen him more in love." She dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "And a little birdie tells me that the Lady Annabeth is engaged to be married in less than a year."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You obviously need a new birdie. I'm not engaged to anyone. My father wants me to marry Luke because he's inheriting a lot from his father, but the guy is an ass."

"Hold it," Thalia interjected. "Did you just say Luke? As in Luke Castellan?"

I remembered Malcolm saying that Percy had a knife fight with Luke. Was it possible that Thalia had also been involved in it? "Yes. My father is arranging for me to marry him. Do you know him?"

Her face darkened. "Oh, I know him. Luke and I have quite a history together."

"What happened? My brother told me that he got his scar because of a fight…"

"With Percy. Yeah. Percy decided that he needed to defend my honor. Your future husband is an asshole, a scumbag, and a heartbreaker. We dated, but you can't even really call it that. Luke was rich and he made me feel special. He made me promises that he never intended to keep. I should've seen through him, but I was in love. I thought he felt the same. Unfortunately for me, I was just another one of his many conquests. After about a year of whatever it was we were doing he tried to get me to agree to…" She swallowed. "Sorry. It's still kinda hard to talk about. Sore subject and all."

I shook my head. "It's okay. You don't need to tell me."

"But I do, Annabeth. Because you need to understand." She swallowed again. "I wouldn't give him what he wanted so he took it from me. Forcefully." Her stormy blue eyes locked on my gray ones. "Get it?"

My mouth was dry. "Yeah. I get it."

She sighed. "Anyway, Percy found out, and he went after Luke. It got ugly, and Luke got a nice scar out of it." Thoughtfully she said, "It's a shame Percy went for the face. That was always my favorite part of him. But that's not the point. The point is Percy is extremely loyal. He will do anything and attack anyone to help or avenge his friends and family. And you're a Lady. The fact that you're supposed to marry Luke makes it even worse."

"But I don't see what the problem is. I don't even want to marry Luke!"

"Annabeth, don't you see? I know they aren't big on letting girls educate themselves up there in Olympus, but look at the facts: you're a Lady. Percy is seen as nothing but a street rat. The people you call friends and family want Percy dead. By hanging out here with Percy and his friends, you'd probably end up dead eventually. Whatever it is you guys have needs to end before it gets out of hand. You can stop it before anything horrible happens."

I narrowed my eyes angrily. That remark about girls not being educated really ticked me off, and my pride kicked in to high gear. "What makes you think that I wanted any of this to happen? If Percy hadn't stolen my bracelet in the first place I wouldn't even be here! But he did, so here I am, whether you like it or not. I am sick and tired of people trying to tell me what I can and can't do with my life. It's _my_ life, Thalia. If I want to stay in Olympus for the rest of my life as a cooped up wife while my husband goes and sleeps around with the maids then I will. But if I want to continue whatever I have with Percy then I will do that. Why should you be able to tell me that I can't?"

Her gaze turned cold. "Because you're not the one who's gonna have to explain to his mother and brother that Percy is dead because some rich girl didn't want to lose her play toy. _That's_ why I can tell you to back off."

That stung. "I'm not just 'some rich girl,' and Percy isn't my 'play toy.' How heartless do you think I am?"

"Heartless enough to go slumming in Hades. Tell me, Annabeth, once Percy is dead will you care at all? Or are you just gonna go back to your cozy palace life?"

I could feel angry tears coming, but I pushed them back down. "There is nothing cozy about my life. Do you think I _enjoy_ the thought of being in an arranged marriage? Or the fact that I have to buy and read books in secret because I'm not allowed to have a real education? I hate palace life. If I could leave I would. But I can't. I'm just as trapped as Percy is. At least he has a chance of escaping."

Her expression softened just a little. "That sucks, Annabeth. But it doesn't change the fact that you and Percy together can only end badly. Even if you both live, you'll both end up heartbroken. And sometimes that's worse than death." She sighed. "We need to get you back to the palace soon, though. Jason said that Octavian won't come for Percy for another couple of hours, and Jason said that he could make sure Octavian thinks there was a mistake in the guard change on Percy's cell. But your father already knows that you aren't there, and he was riding up to the palace to see where you'd gone. So if you don't wanna be in huge trouble we have to go."

My heart started beating faster. I had completely forgotten that my father might be worried about where I was. I felt like a complete idiot. "Oh shit," I swore. "How soon can you get me back?"

Thalia stood. "I'll have someone take you back right now. It's not a super long walk, but you'll need to move fast. And it's broad daylight out, so I hope you have a good plan for getting through the Gates without drawing too much attention to yourself."

I stood as well. "I'll think of something." I climbed down the ladder after Thalia. On the bottom floor I saw Percy, Travis, and Nico talking quietly together. It looked kind of intense and I didn't want to interrupt, but Thalia had no problem with walking over, putting her arms around Nico, and saying to Travis, "Travis, can you take Annabeth back to the Gates? Or at least close enough that she'll be able to find her way back without getting her throat slit?"

Travis glanced at Percy who glared at Thalia and said, "Thalia, I told Annabeth that I would take her back."

Thalia raised an eyebrow and glared back. "And the moment you show your face they'll have you re-arrested. Or they'll have you killed on the spot. Something tells me Octavian isn't gonna risk losing you a second time."

Percy was about to protest, but I said quietly, "Thalia's right, Percy. It's too dangerous for you to bring me back." I forced myself to look at him, my heart pounding. His expression was angry, but I could tell that he was hurt. I looked down at my feet.

Awkwardly, Travis said, "Umm…okay. Well, I'll be right back, and then we can go, Your Richness. Nico, why don't I show you that thing that I was talking about earlier?"

Nico replied, "Yeah, I really wanna see that thing. Come on, Thals, let's go see that thing Travis is talking about."

Thalia crossed her arms. "I'm fine here actually."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Dammit, Thalia, we know you convinced her to stay away from Percy. At least let them say goodbye." He grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her away, leaving me and Percy alone.

He didn't say anything, so I started to say goodbye. "Well, thanks for my bracelet back and-"

He held up a hand. "Stop." I shut my mouth quickly. "Why did you jump away so quickly? When you woke up?"

I blushed, remembering how I had woken up laying on top of his shirtless chest. "Well, uh, I don't really remember falling asleep with you…and I definitely don't remember you taking your shirt off…"

He smirked a little. "You fell asleep, and I carried you to my bed thinking you'd be comfier there than on the floor. I was gonna crash on the couch, but you woke up a little and told me to stay. So I did."

I blushed even harder. "And the shirt?"

"That was all you, Annabeth."

I was sure that my face was redder than a cherry at this point. "We didn't…you know…_do_ anything, did we?"

It was his turn to blush. "No. Just kissing and stuff." We stood there awkwardly, looking at anything but each other. Finally he asked, "You don't regret it, do you?"

That took me by surprise. "What?"

He was blushing again. "Coming here. Being here with me. Do you regret it?"

Hesitantly I answered, "Well I got my bracelet back…"

He gulped and turned a deeper shade of red. On some boys it probably would have made them look unattractive, but on Percy's tanned skin it had the opposite effect. "I mean do you regret last night? I mean, we met like four days ago. At this time yesterday you were in my cell yelling at me to give your bracelet back. And now you're going back to Olympus. And I might never see you again, so I just wanna know." He looked me straight in the eyes. "Do you regret it?"

I stared back. "Do you?"

He shook his head slowly. "Not at all."

My throat clenched, and I could barely force myself to speak. "Me neither."

He brought a hand up to my face and cupped my cheek. I leaned into his hand. "Good. I hope you don't regret this either." He leaned forward, and for the third time in twenty-four hours I closed my eyes as Percy Jackson pressed his lips against mine. Once again my arms wrapped around his neck and his arm went around my waist. I don't know how long it lasted, but by the time we pulled apart, Thalia and Travis were back. Travis stood there nonchalantly, apparently not bothered by the display. Thalia just shook her head sadly and turned away.

Before she left, Thalia spoke to me one last time. "Remember what I said, Annabeth. Don't let yourself get hurt for nothing." Percy glared at her, but she didn't see. She was already retreating farther back into the warehouse.

Travis stepped forward and addressed me. "Ready to go, then?" I nodded. Travis started towards the door but stopped to shake hands with Percy. "In case you're gone by the time I get back. It's been great knowing you."

Percy shook his hand. "You too, man. Hopefully I'll get back someday."

Travis looked at me and Percy. He said to me, "I'll be outside. Come out when you're ready." He opened the door and shut it behind him.

I turned back to Percy. "Is this goodbye, then?"

He smiled sadly and brushed my hair behind my ear. "I wish it wasn't. But as much as I hate to admit it, Thalia's right. I don't see how it could work between us." He smirked. "I'm a wanted murderer."

I shook my head. "I told you I don't believe that. Who are you covering up for?"

He laughed sadly. "You just see right through me, don't you? Gabe, that's my step-father, was choking me. My brother defended me with a frying pan." His expression darkened. "Unfortunately Tyson doesn't know his own strength."

"So you took the blame to save your brother?"

"I'd do anything for him."

"But why didn't you just say that you were defending yourself?"

"You think the Guard would believe me? Octavian hates me. He's been trying to kill me since I formed the Demigods three years ago. He'd make sure I died."

"But everyone has to have a fair trial. It's a law."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is it? If that's true it sure as hell hasn't been enforced very well. I know tons of people who were sent to jail or hanged without a trial. If the Guard thinks you're guilty, you're guilty."

I shook my head in disbelief. "That's not right. Surely the King doesn't know about that?"

He shrugged. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting the King of Olympus, so I wouldn't know. But he can't be that good of a ruler if he doesn't know what's going on right outside his palace." I knew Rachel's father personally, so I wanted to defend him. The problem was, I agreed with Percy. If Rachel's dad didn't know what was going on in Hades, which was only a 30 minute carriage ride from his palace, how could he possibly know what was going on in places as far away a Ithaca, where my brother and his wife lived?

When I got back to Olympus, I knew that I would have to tell Rachel about all of this. I hoped that she would be able to tell her father about all of this. But at that point I was thinking too hard about it. Percy's hand was back on my cheek, and I didn't want him to ever pull away.

He rubbed his thumb gently across my cheek. "I don't want to say goodbye," he murmured.

"Me neither," I whispered back. His forehead came to rest on mine as he pulled me close in a hug. I didn't want to let go of him.

Still hugging me tightly, he asked, "Do you know a Lord Paul Blofis?"

I nodded against his shoulder. "He's friends with my dad. Why?"

"He hired my mom as a maid. Is he a good guy?"

"He's one of the nicest people I've ever met. His wife died a few years ago. He's quiet, but he's extremely kind. And he's a writer."

"Do you think he'll fire my mom when he finds out her son is a fugitive?"

"He probably won't. He isn't one to judge people based on who they're related to."

"Good. I wanna make sure I'm not just abandoning her and Tyson."

"If you want I can check up on her every now and then. Paul sneaks me his books when he finishes them because he knows how much I love to read. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary if I visited him every now and then."

Percy kissed the top of my head. "You're amazing, Annabeth. Why did I threaten to kill you again?"

"I believe you told me that I had too much nerve."

He chuckled as he pulled away from me. I already missed his arms. "I'm gonna miss your nerve."

"I'll miss you too, Percy." He looked at me and kissed me again. Then he walked me to the door and opened it for me.

"Don't get hurt on the way back. If I find out something happened to you I'll never forgive myself."

I smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be fine." He smiled back and kissed me for the last time. I felt bad for making Travis wait so long, so it was only a quick kiss. I stood in the doorway with Percy as I looked outside. Travis was nowhere to be found. I stepped out into the street. "Travis?" I called. I turned towards the sound of running feet. Travis jogged around the corner of the warehouse.

"Sorry, Annabeth, I thought I heard-" his eyes widened and he lunged towards me. "Annabeth, look out!" He shouted. I stepped back in alarm and I felt something sharp plunge into my back. I fell to the ground.

Percy, who had gone back into the warehouse, came running when he heard me scream in pain. I felt another searing jab into my back, this one near my shoulder. If the person with the knife had aimed just a few inches lower, the knife would have hit my heart. Travis tackled whoever it was who had stabbed me, and Percy kneeled next to me.

"Thalia! Nico! Get out here now!" he screamed. They and a few others came running at the sound of his voice. I heard Nico swear when he saw the blood spreading over the back of my dress.

Nico shouted to someone inside, "Get the knife kit now! Calypso attacked Annabeth."

Thalia kneeled down on the other side of me. "Stay with us, Annabeth. You gotta stay conscious."

Percy got up. I could hear him yelling at someone. "You fucking bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I heard someone, a girl, shout back, "I told you that if it was another girl I would kill her."

I heard a noise that sounded like someone getting slapped. Thalia yelled, "Percy, hitting her isn't gonna make Annabeth any better." Percy was back at my side.

He took my hand in both of his. His face was slipping in and out of my vision as he shook my arm gently. "Come on, Annabeth," he urged. "Stay with me."

The pain in my back was unbearable. I knew I was being flipped onto my stomach. I could feel the back of my dress being ripped open as someone put something over the wounds. I screamed in pain and almost blacked out. I could feel Percy's grip on my hand tighten. "I know it hurts, Annabeth. Please, stay awake. You can't black out."

But I could barely hear him. I fought to stay awake, but it wasn't working. I could feel myself slipping away. The last thing I heard was Percy shouting my name. Then I passed out.

**How many of you can say you were expecting that to happen? Not very many of you I'm gonna guess. Especially since I didn't know it was gonna happen until like 3/4 through this chapter. Surprise! Okay I will try to update as soon as possible but you all know how bad I am at staying true to my update promises. I will update before January of 2014. I think I can accomplish that much.**

**Also, I did not read over this chapter after I wrote it, so I apologize for any mistakes/repetitions, that sort of stuff. If I left something unanswered or confusing, tell me. I will explain.**

**Anywhoo, I hope you enjoyed. Reviews are nice. Ciao! ~Belle**


	10. Percy and a Pretty Rad Confession

**Hello all! How are you feeling today? Good? Yay! Not so good? I'll give you a hug *hugs* Much better now right?**

**Belle's Book: **_**Lock and Key**_** by Sarah Dessen. Ruby gets abandoned by her mother and is forced to go live with her sister Cora and her sister's husband Jamie, but Ruby hasn't seen or spoken to her sister in over nine years. At first Ruby can't wait to leave, but soon she starts to realize that maybe she didn't know the whole story behind why Cora left and never came back. Along the way, Ruby meets a guy named Nate. It's a teen romance novel, so you can probably guess what happens there. It's one of my favorite books and quite a good read!**

**Also, I lied about not doing shout outs. Don't get mad, I like them! I feel like it's a nice way of saying thank you for reviewing :D It will just be a more condensed version than before.**

**Shouty outies:**

** .you**,** Daughter of Artemis and Cahill**,** ElmoDaHorse**,** viper's fang**, **MashPotatoesSquishBanana **(this name I swear it's wonderful), **bratzs12345**, **FullyAwesomeMinecrafter**, **Mighty Ruler of the Gummi Bears **(I love you), **HappyOwl**, **cantwaittilfall**, **Qwerty616120**, **Diamond Dunce**, **prince of the seas**, **April**, **KatieElizabethGrace**,** somebody **(thank you so much! And yea I didn't really check my grammar in that last chapter, sorry about that), **Thomaskm99**, **midnightwolf 97**, **Riptide14**, **Chubychicken** (this name is absolute gold), **GreyEyedWiseGirl **(Ned Bigby of relationship advice bahahahahaha I love you), **bob**,** Royalty **(thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it), **tomboy author**, **xDelightedDreams**, **Person **(I'm sorry it took so long! I've been super duper busy with school and stage crew. But I'm back now!), **Qwerty616120**, **Sarah**, **Percabeth supporter**, **DaughterofHecate21**, **Crazy Fandom Girl100**, **PJObsessed**, , **Reviewer**, **SeaweedBrain'sWiseGurl393**, **athena-gia-ma'at**

**I think that is all of them. If I missed people I am very sorry, it was completely unintentional. **

**I apologize if any facts about knife wounds/blood loss are a bit off in this chapter. I can't say I've ever actually been stabbed so I'm kind of making stuff up here. Now onto the story!**

Chapter 10- Percy

I knelt down next to Annabeth and took her hand in both of mine. I could hear noises from inside the warehouse, and I hoped it was someone trying to find the knife kit. We kept all kinds of emergency supplies around the warehouse, but we rarely used them. It was unlikely that anyone in Hades would be stupid enough to try and take on a Demigod. But Annabeth was losing blood fast and her grip on my hand was weakening by the second. I shook her arm gently. "Come on, Annabeth. Stay with me."

Her eyelids fluttered and I could tell that the pain was killing her. If I didn't get that knife kit soon she would pass out. From the amount of blood she was losing, I didn't know if she would ever wake up. "I know it hurts, Annabeth. Please, stay awake. You can't black out."

Unfortunately, my pleading wasn't doing anything to help her. "Annabeth. Annabeth!" I shouted as her eyes rolled back and she passed out from blood loss.

"Shit," I swore under my breath. I turned towards the warehouse. "Where the hell is that knife kit?" I shouted inside. A few seconds later Leo came scurrying outside with the kit in his hands. I grabbed it from his hands and immediately set to work.

"Thalia, help me turn her over." Thalia complied and we carefully positioned Annabeth so that she was lying flat on her stomach. Someone had grabbed a blanket so that her head wasn't against the dirty street. I was thankful for that, although I had no idea who had done this. I made a mental note to try and remember to ask Thalia later so I could thank them. But at that point I had more important matters on my hands.

The back of Annabeth's dress was soaked in blood. I tried to undo the laces so that I could deal with the knife wounds, but my fingers were big and the laces kept getting knotted. I growled at them angrily and Thalia stopped my hand with hers. "Let me," she said gently. She tugged at the laces and managed to unlace Annabeth's dress in a matter of seconds. Now I could clearly see the knife wounds, which were still oozing out blood. I handed bandages and supplies to clean the wounds to Thalia so that she could start on the knife wound in Annabeth's lower back while I worked with the one on her shoulder. Both of us, being the experienced emergency doctors that we are, were finished cleaning and dressing the wounds in a matter of minutes. However, Annabeth was still passed out.

"Percy, carry her inside so she doesn't wake up on the ground," Thalia instructed. I positioned Annabeth carefully and picked her up, one arm supporting the middle of her back where she was uninjured, the other under her knees. I quickly brought her over to my bed since it was the closest and laid her face-down on the bed so that her wounds would have some more time to heal before she tried to lie on her back.

Thalia sat on the edge of my bed. She carefully began to remove Annabeth's dress from her upper body. She caught me staring and raised an eyebrow. "A little privacy for the passed out girl would be nice." I blushed and turned around until Thalia said I could look. When I came back Annabeth was still lying on her stomach. She was covered up to her shoulder blades by a rough woolen blanket and her dress was heaped in a bloody ball on the floor. I sat down on one side of Annabeth while Thalia sat on the other. We both stared at her unconscious form until Thalia finally looked up and said, "You need to go."

For a minute I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. Then I remembered: I was supposed to be on the run. I had to get out of the city before Octavian and the rest of the Guard came after me. But looking at Annabeth, I knew that I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. "I can't just leave her like this, Thals."

"Yes you can. I'll take care of her. And I'll make sure that Calypso is locked up. She won't be able to hurt Annabeth again."

I shook my head. "That's not the point, Thalia. I don't _want_ to leave her. It's my fault that she was attacked. It's my fault that she's even out here right now." I stood up angrily and kicked the wall. "I should have just given her the damn bracelet back in Olympus. Then none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have come out here. I would have been long gone by now. And I wouldn't have…" I trailed off and punched the wall with my fist.

Thalia looked at me coldly. "You're in love with her. Aren't you?" Her words were accusing and I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I knew what her reaction would be if I told her the truth. She'd be angry because she always warned me about going after the rich girls. She'd be upset that I didn't take her experience with Luke as a warning. But I knew that she would never believe me if I lied to her. So I nodded. And I honestly don't think I've ever seen someone look so angry and so sad at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Thals. I know what you always said. But there's just something about her…she's special."

"You met her four days ago, Percy. Four days ago you threatened to kill her."

"But I didn't know her yet."

"Exactly. And you _still_ don't know her. You've had one day to be together. One. Day. Do you seriously expect me to believe that you fell in love with someone that quickly?"

Thalia was starting to piss me off now. "Didn't you fall in love with Luke that quickly? I seem to remember that pretty well."

Her ears turned red. "Yes, Percy. And that worked out so damn well. But since you brought it up, did your darling Annabeth tell you that she's engaged?"

I wheeled away from the wall and faced her. "What?"

She pursed her lips. "I'll take that as a no. And I suppose she didn't happen to mention exactly who she's engaged to either, did she?"

I already knew the answer before she said it. My stomach dropped. "No…"

Her face was emotionless. "She's marrying Luke in less than a year, Percy. She's engaged to the guy that you went after with a knife." She let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, the irony of love."

I leaned my head against the wall. "I can't believe this…"

Thalia scoffed. "You'd better believe it. If you stay here, Octavian will come after you. If he finds you and brings you back to Luke and Annabeth's father, Luke will make your life a living hell. What do you think he's been doing these last two years Percy? He's a vengeful man. You are the only person who ever beat him in a fight, and he is reminded of that every day when he looks in the mirror. He will come after you. And this time little Miss Annabeth won't be there to save you. She'll be handcuffed to his bed waiting for Luke to come treat her like the rest of his whores."

I slammed my fist against the wall and shouted, "Shut UP, THALIA!" I faced her. "Shut the hell up. Do you think I give a shit what happens to me? Everything I've done my entire life has been for someone else. For my mom, for Tyson, for Nico, for the gang, for Calypso. For you. My life is about making the people that I love safe and happy. That's why I created the Demigods. I needed a way to make money for Mom and Tyson. Then I needed to help you and Nico and the Stolls and the rest of them. I've helped all of you as much as I can. But now there's someone else I love that needs my help. And whether you think it's true or not, I do love her. I don't know if she loves me back, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that she might be dying. I would never leave anyone behind who has even the slightest chance of getting better. You know that. So this is the last time I'm going to tell you, Thalia: I'm. Not. Leaving."

After that long ass and weirdly emotional speech I was feeling kinda short on breath. I watched her through glaring eyes as she defiantly held my gaze for a few seconds. Finally it wavered, and she looked down, shaking her head sadly. "You're making a huge mistake."

I sat down on the bed on the other side of Annabeth. I held up a strand of her beautiful, long blonde hair and twirled it around my finger. "You're right. I probably am. But I think it's worth it."

She sighs and stands up. "I think you're crazy. And I also think that if we don't get her back up to Olympus soon Hades is gonna be swarming with the Guard. And Octavian will be out for blood, so you better be ready. If you die I'll bring you back to life just so I can murder you myself."

I flash her my infamous smile/smirk. "I look forward to it."

She rolls her eyes and walks away, leaving me alone with Annabeth, who was still passed out. I continued twirling her hair as I watched her sleep. My fingers trailed along her hair and up to her neck. I felt for a pulse and was happy to find one, even though it was faint and rather unsteady. I checked her bandages again, but they were fine. The bleeding had stopped by then. With nothing to do but a strong desire to stay next to her, I picked up her warm hand and studied her elegant fingers.

Her fingers were beautiful. Long and pale, they looked nothing like the knobby and scarred hands of Thalia, my mom, and the majority of the other women who lived in Hades. I could picture her hands gliding across the surface of a piano, playing for her friends and the friends of her parents. It made me sad. In that moment I realized with a pang that there would never be any future for us. Not here. We were too different. She belonged to the rich and the powerful. I belonged with the scum on the streets. I knew that she would never leave them. Anything that we had or might have would have to come to an end. But still, even with this knowledge that we would never be happy together, that I would never be able to take care of her the same way that someone rich like Luke could, I still could not leave her. I knew that no one could ever love her like I did. Even though Thalia was right, even though it had only been four days since I first laid eyes on her, I loved Annabeth more deeply and more desperately than anyone else I had ever met. The way my mom described my dad was the way I felt about Annabeth. Love. Real, pure love. The kind of love that can't be fought against. Whether or not Octavian found me didn't matter. I needed Annabeth to be safe.

I bent down brushed the hair off the side of her turned face. I kissed her cheek and murmured against her skin, "I love you, Annabeth."

A few hours later, when she finally woke up, her gray eyes glanced around and finally locked on mine. My stomach flipped when she smiled slightly before closing her eyes and squeezing my hand, which was still wrapped around hers. I smiled like an idiot when she murmured, "I love you, too, Percy."

Then she fell asleep.

**This is a weird chapter because it's kind of a filler for other chapters that will be coming but aren't done or written yet. I just felt like I had to give you guys something because I have updated in months. Sorry 'bout that. Okay but yeah this is this chapter, I'm sorry that I'm so bad at updating, I'll try to be better, etc. My usual apologies. I hope you like it, reviews are always appreciated, and you guys are the greatest. Bye bye now!**


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